Experts from the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) analyzed two documents from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine that could significantly impact the activities of civil society organizations operating in the fields of humanitarian aid, charity, and volunteering.
The first document is CMU Resolution No. 954, "Certain Issues Regarding the Acquisition and Deprivation of the Status of a Verified Humanitarian Organization." It introduces a state verification mechanism for recipients of humanitarian aid who meet established criteria for integrity, organizational capacity, and operational transparency.
The status of a verified humanitarian organization will be granted following a review of documents by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine. Key requirements include confirmed volume of activities, presence of hired employees, internal policies, public reporting, and open disclosure of information about the organization’s activities.
According to UCIPR experts, introducing this status will help increase trust in humanitarian operators and create additional opportunities for their work, particularly regarding the use of vehicles imported as humanitarian aid. At the same time, uniform criteria for organizations of different sizes could create a disproportionate administrative burden for small and medium-sized CSOs, while the verification itself risks turning over time into an informal prerequisite for accessing certain state services or donor support.
The second document is a draft CMU resolution, "On Approval of the Model Regulations on the Council for Volunteering, Charity, and Humanitarian Response." It provides for the creation of advisory bodies under local government authorities to develop systemic cooperation with volunteer, charitable, and humanitarian organizations.
Experts note that the document lays down important mechanisms for institutionalizing dialogue between the government and civil society. Specifically, it foresees open procedures for forming the Councils' membership, predominant representation from the civic sector, broad consultative powers, and transparency requirements for their activities.
At the same time, the analysis revealed several risks. Among them are the potential politicization of the council formation process, the advisory nature of their decisions without any obligation for government bodies to take these recommendations into account, and the lack of accountability mechanisms for implementing these recommendations. Furthermore, local-level adaptation of the Model Regulations may lead to varying practices in how such councils function across different communities.
Overall, both documents represent important steps toward improving state policy in the field of humanitarian action and developing partnerships between the state and civil society. However, their practical effectiveness will largely depend on addressing the identified legal and procedural risks, as well as ensuring equal opportunities for participation by organizations of all sizes.
You can read the full expert analyses via the following links:
Analysis of CMU Resolution No. 954 "Certain Issues Regarding the Acquisition and Deprivation of the Status of a Verified Humanitarian Organization";
Analysis of the draft CMU Resolution "On Approval of the Model Regulations on the Council for Volunteering, Charity, and Humanitarian Response."
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Institutional support for UCIPR activities is provided by East Europe Foundation within the framework of the "Phoenix: The Power of Communities" project, with the support of the European Union. The content of the created materials is the sole responsibility of UCIPR and does not necessarily reflect the position of East Europe Foundation and the EU.
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