The Ministry of Information Policy established Public Council

 Understanding the importance of ensuring the participation of citizens in public affairs, in response to the initiative of civic activists, the Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Yurii Stets initiated the establishment of public council under the MIP, which is now successfully completed.

  The Ministry of Information Policy stands for the protection of the freedom of speech making every effort to implement the practice of democratic values and the principle of transparent government. That is why, the meeting of initiative group on creation of Public Council under the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine was held on the 1st of April 2015.

 The application procedure for civil society institutions (CSI) to participate in foundation meeting of the Public Council under the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine was completed on the 30th of April, and today the constitutive meeting was held.

 48 CSIs delegates were registered to participate in the foundation meeting of the Public Council, 57 CSIs filed documents.

 “You are members of the public. You will speak for the community, and I, in my turn, will implement public opinion on creation of legal framework for ensuring security of the information space of our country”, – said the Minister during the opening of the foundation meeting of the Public Council.

 At the first meeting the composition of the Public Council was formed by preferential voting for candidates. The quantitative composition of the Public Council was approved with the following memberships of 48 present delegates for a term of two years.

 In the course of the meeting Bebik Valeriy (All-Ukrainian Association of Political Sciences NPO) was appointed the Acting Head of the Public Council, Skrypnyk Olga Sergiivna (Almeda Public Education Center NPO) became the First Deputy Head, Stepanova I.Yu. (Vzaiemodopomoha (Mutual Aid) Charity Fund) and Valeyeva V.V. (Association “Information technologies of Ukraine”) are Deputy Heads, Vasianovych M.P. 

(Human Rights Organization “Nashe Misto”) was appointed the Secretary.

Thus, the MIP office will develop a Model Regulation on Public Council, which should be submitted to the members of the Public Council until May 30. After acceptance of comments and suggestions from CSIs by experts of the MIP the Consistent Regulation will be developed and adopted on the next meeting of the Public Council under the MIP.

 The approximate date for the next meeting of the Public Council: June, 2015.

 The Public Council under the MIP includes the following CSIs:

 Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies, Syla ukraiinskoho dukhu (Power of Ukrainian Spirit) NPO, Students’ Republic NPO, Research Centre for Legal Informatics NPO, Podol Civic Guard NPO, Ukrainian Political Science Association NPO, IT Ukraine Association, Ukrainian Trade Union of Information Technologies Industry Workers, Ukrainian Trade Union of Workers of Culture and Tourism, Human Rights Organization “Nashe Misto” (Our City) NPO, Research Center of Donbass Social Perspectives NPO, Association of Right holders and Content Providers, American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Podol Agency for Regional Development NPO, Association of Journalists, Publishers, and Broadcasters Novomedia, Ukrainian Lustration Committee NPO, Regional Centre for Human Rights NPO, Internally Displaced Persons’ Union NPO, Internet Business Association of Ukraine NPO, Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research, Elita Derzhavy (Elite of The State) NPO, Nivo Drom Charity Fund, Ukraine Trudiaschi (Working People) Independent Trade Union, Television Industry Committee Association, Ukrainian Lawyer Trade Union, Ukrainian Youth Forum NPO, All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition, Osno-Vy NPO, Association of Lawyers of Ukraine NPO, National Strategies Fund NPO, Kyiv Press-Club NPO, Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs NPO, Internet Association of Ukraine, Pravyi Sektor (Right Sector) NPO, Union Of Advertisers Of Ukraine, Criminal Law Association of Ukraine NPO, Almenda Public Education Center NPO, Businessmen Rights 

Protection Union NGO, International Association of Marketing Initiatives NGO, Vzaiemodopomoha (Mutual Aid) Charity Fund, National Independent Athletic Trainers’, Instructor Trainers’ and Professional Athletes’ Trade Union, Ukrainian Integration Center of Medical, Social and Physical Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons with Impaired Physical Development NPO, All-Ukrainian Road Transport Union, Kyiv Initiative Group Alpbach NPO, Democracy and Civic Initiatives NPO, the Pravdoshukach newspaper, Association of Information Technology Enterprises of Ukraine, Pravyi Sektor Solomyanka NPO, the Vse Pro Buhhalters’kyi Oblik (Everything About Accounting) newspaper.

 As a reminder, the Public Council under the MIP is a permanent collegial, advisory body set up to carry out public control over the government agency, establish effective cooperation between MIP and public, and ensure consideration of public opinion during the formation and implementation of state policy.