LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN UKRAINE IN 2024: TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

Abstract

In 2024, local and regional authorities operated in extremely difficult conditions caused by martial law, massive population displacements, destruction of critical infrastructure and the need for large-scale reconstruction of the country. These challenges pose new challenges for local and regional authorities: ensuring the rights of internally displaced persons (as well as returnees), restoring housing and infrastructure, developing civil society and transparent public administration mechanisms. At the same time, local and regional authorities face limited financial resources, a lack of specialists and the need to adapt to European standards of public administration and human rights, in line with Ukraine's chosen vector of movement towards European integration. In 2024, local self-government in Ukraine demonstrated the ability to adapt to the challenging conditions caused by martial law and the needs of the country's recovery. The main trends include an increased need for resources and intensified cooperation with international partners and the introduction of mechanisms for transparent and effective public administration. It is concluded that there is an urgent need to strengthen the financial capacity of territorial communities, improve the legislative framework and expand training programmes for those working in local and regional authorities, as well as for active members of territorial communities. Prospects for the development of local self-government in Ukraine in general and national municipal law in particular are associated with further integration of European municipal standards, strengthening of the role of local and regional authorities in ensuring the implementation and guarantee of human rights (and, consequently, implementation of European human rights standards at the local level). It is concluded that these processes and their impact on local self-government require an in-depth analysis of the trends in its development in 2024, an assessment of the current state and the formulation of recommendations for further dynamics of municipal legislation.