We would like to offer you a selection of key legislative changes related to the activities of civil society organizations. In the first half of the March issue, the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research has collected the main topics worth knowing about:
- Visa requirements have been waived for foreign nationals and stateless persons who are humanitarian workers and volunteers for the duration of martial law
- A bill on improving the procedures for the establishment, operation, and dissolution of community self-governing bodies has been rejected
- Amendments have been made to the model charter of a civil society organization
Read more about these changes and find out how they will affect the work of CSOs
Regulatory Acts Adopted
A law has been passed waiving visa requirements for foreigners and stateless persons who are humanitarian workers and volunteers for the duration of martial law
What the document is about: The document stipulates that, for the duration of martial law and for six months following its termination, the visa requirement for entry into Ukraine does not apply to certain categories of foreigners and stateless persons.
This applies to the following categories:
- employees of verified humanitarian organizations—foreign nationals and stateless persons arriving to work at branches or representative offices of legal entities that have the status of verified humanitarian organizations in accordance with Ukrainian law;
- participants in international and regional volunteer programs—foreign nationals and stateless persons who engage in volunteer activities through organizations or institutions included in the official list of the authorized body in the field of volunteer activities.
The law takes effect three months after its publication, and the Cabinet of Ministers must bring regulatory acts into compliance with the new provisions. It is currently awaiting the President’s signature.
Why this matters: Simplifying visa requirements allows for the faster recruitment of international humanitarian workers and volunteers to Ukraine, which is particularly critical in times of war and recovery. This reduces bureaucratic barriers for aid organizations and speeds up the response to community needs. Additionally, the law promotes greater participation by international partners in supporting Ukraine, while maintaining control through organizational verification mechanisms and security restrictions.
The government has approved amendments to the model charter for public organizations
What the document is about: The amendments to the model charter of a public organization clarify the conditions for conducting activities, internal management, and the dissolution of organizations.
In particular, provisions regarding internal audit have been clarified—a fixed number of internal audit staff members (3 or 5 people) has been established, and terminology has been brought into line with legislation (in particular regarding the unified social contribution and reporting).
The amendments detail the procedure for terminating an organization’s activities, including through various forms of reorganization (merger, division, consolidation, transformation), and clarify the rules for transferring assets—they must be transferred to other non-profit organizations or to the state budget.
Additionally, the requirements for maintaining accounting records and submitting reports in accordance with the law have been clarified.
It should be noted, in particular, that clarifying the provisions on reorganisation and the procedure for transferring assets, as well as the requirements for accounting and reporting, is of great importance in ensuring that an organisation meets the criteria for non-profit status. This, in turn, creates the conditions for simplifying the procedures for inclusion in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations, including without the need for additional interaction with the State Tax Service authorities
Why this matters: The changes make the model charter more flexible and better aligned with the actual practices of civil society organizations. This brings us closer to unlocking online registration testing for CSOs in Diia (to finalize the process, an order on the formation of a digital code must be approved by the Ministry of Justice and beta testing must begin).
Other news related to CSOs
The Verkhovna Rada has rejected a bill to improve the procedures for the establishment, operation, and dissolution of community self-organization bodies
What the document is about: The bill aimed to amend the Law of Ukraine “On Community Self-Organization Bodies,” specifically regarding:
- simplifying the procedure for establishing a community self-organization body;
- defining the powers and territorial scope of a community self-organization body;
- clarifying the right to vote and be elected to a community self-organization body;
- eliminating ambiguities regarding the procedure for establishing and the term of office of a community self-organization body and its membership; legalizing and registering a community self-organization body as a legal entity;
- clarifying the procedure for terminating the powers of the membership of a community self-organization body and dissolving the community self-organization body.
Why this matters: The document was developed with the active support of civil society; it underwent dozens of discussions and working meetings and was part of a package of draft laws related to Ukraine’s European integration commitments. Currently, the public is advocating for continued work on amendments to the legislation on community self-governance bodies and for the reintroduction of the bill.
The digest is produced by NGO “Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research” with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UCIPR and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden, and ISAR Ednannia.
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