Today in Kyiv, the Annual Richelieu Public Service Forum “Human rights in Ukraine: Optics of Change” officially began. This year, the forum focuses on human rights. During the discussion panels, experts are engaging in dialogues on how public service should guarantee human rights “here and now” — in the realities of war, transformation, reconstruction, and digital change — while serving as a reliable support for society, ensuring trust, protection, and inclusion.
“The discussions taking place on our platform will help us form a comprehensive vision of what public service should be, what it currently is, and how it implements and protects human rights,” emphasized Nataliia Aliushyna, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, during the forum’s opening. According to the Agency’s head, the three days of discussions will serve as a platform for decision-making that can help make public service more open, professional, fair, and responsive to the interests and needs of citizens. Nataliia Aliushyna stressed that public service is a space for decisions that affect the lives of all citizens, and the level of public trust in the state depends on its ability to meet the expectations of the majority, particularly in the area of safeguarding civil rights.
Forum participants were welcomed by Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko, Deputy Minister of Community Development and Territories of Ukraine Nataliia Kozlovska, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Governance, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning Olena Shuliak, Head of Operations Division 1 “European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society” of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Asier Santillán, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Auke Lotsma, and Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Claudia Luciani.
The special guest on the first day was the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets. His speech highlighted human rights as a key element of successful reforms, including in public administration. The Ombudsman emphasized that civil service is the foundation of citizens’ trust in the state. He highlighted the importance of improving civil servants’ qualifications, expanding access to public service for people with disabilities, veterans, and internally displaced persons, and promoting gender equality within government bodies. He also outlined the human rights protection work of the Ombudsman’s Office and the changes implemented there during wartime.
Each thematic panel on the first day of the Richelieu Forum focuses on the “generations of human rights.” This includes:
- First generation: Fundamental human rights as a tool for the development of public service.
- Second generation: Social, economic and cultural rights as a foundation for sustainable development.
- Third generation: Common rights and transparent and inclusive society.
- Fourth generation: Human rights in the age of digital innovation: opportunities and challenges of the present and the future.
Additional information: The Richelieu Public Service Forum is a platform for international expert dialogue, exchange of experience, practices, and trends on enhancing the efficiency of public administration and civil service. The forum is held annually by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union, and the High School of Public Governance, with support from technical assistance projects, programs, and international organisations.
