Country Report Ukraine

Networking

Important organisations and contact persons

The network established in the framework of the preparatory project embraces all main potential stakeholders of the TRB SDP at the level of Zakarpatska Oblast. However, self-governmental bodies are not presented at the moment as a consequence of the general elections that took place on March 31, 2002. The network is a result of personal meetings of the national constultant with important representatives of interested parties, as well as of two consultative national workshops held in Uzhgorod.

The First Ukrainian National Consultative Workshop took place on March 14, 2002. It was attended by 37 persons representing diverse government, non-governmental, academic and business organisations, as well as UNDP-Ukraine and the Ukrainian Branch of the Carpathian Foundation. Several potential stakeholders were represented at the workshop:

Government institutions - Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine, State Administration of Zakarpatska Oblast, State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources in Zakarpatska Oblast, Industrial Administration for Melioration and Water Economy of Zakarpatska Oblast, Administration for Cross-Border Co-operation and Investments, Administration for Tourism and Resorts

Self-governmental organisations - Council of Zakarpatska Oblast

Non-governmental organisations - Association "Switzerland-Zakarpattia Network", Carpathian Environmental Club "Ruthenia", EcoCentre "Tysa", Environmental Association of Teachers "Eco-Ex", Environmental Club "Karpaty", Zakarpattia Environmental Club "Edelweiss"

Businesses - Special Economic Zone "Zakarpattia", Agricultural Union of Zakarpattia

Research and educational institutions - Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Uzhgorod National University, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukrainian Land and Resources Management Centre, Institute for Strategic Research (Uzhgorod Branch), Mukatcheve Forest Station

The workshop gave the opportunity to start the exchange of opinions on the identification of needs for the TRB SDP and roughly to delineate the most urgent issues of sustainable development in Zakarpatska Oblast. The workshop also resulted in the formation of the Ukrainian National Initiative Group (UNIG) for the TRB SDP, which includes representatives of the most important potential stakeholders. The anonymous feedback from participants showed a high level of representation by stakeholders and the urgency of the problems that were discussed (annex 1).

The Second Ukrainian National Consultative Workshop took place on April 11, 2002. It was attended by 23 representatives of potential stakeholders. The local press and TV were also present to cover the event. Several potential stakeholders were represented at the workshop:

Government institutions - State Administration of Zakarpatska Oblast, State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources in Zakarpatska Oblast, State Administration for Water Resources, State Administration for Forestry

Non-governmental organisations - Carpathian Environmental Club "Ruthenia", Environmental Organisation "Ekosfera", Regional Development Agency of Khust, Zakarpattia Environmental Club "Edelweiss"

Research and educational institutions - Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Uzhgorod National University, Ukrainian Land and Resources Management Centre, Zakarpattia Geological Prospecting Expedition, Mukatcheve Forest Station

The Second Workshop resulted in the establishment of a prioritised list of the main recognised needs for the TRB SDB. This list is described in the last chapter of the national report. The anonymous feedback from the participants again pointed to active representation and the urgency of the issues (annex 2).

The UNIG for the TRB SDP, created at the First National Workshop is one of the most important networking results. The Group consists of representatives of the main potential stakeholders:

State Administration of Zakarpatska Oblast - Mr. Fedir Kharuta, Deputy Head
Council of Zakarpatska Oblast - Not represented owing to recent elections
State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources in Zakarpatska Oblast - Mr. Ivan Nehrya, Chief; Mr. Vasyl Bahin, Head of the Monitoring Department
Industrial Administration for Melioration and Water Economy of Zakarpatska Oblast - Mr. Orest Ivanytskyi, Deputy Chief
Administration for Forestry of Zakarpatska Oblast - Mr. Volodymyr Kitchura, Deputy Chief
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve - Dr. Fedir Hamor, Director
Uzhgorod National University - Docent Myroslava Lendyel, Faculty of Economy; Docent Ludvig Potish, Faculty of Biology
Carpathian Environmental Club "Ruthenia" - Professor Andriy Kovaltchuk
Zakarpattia Environmental Club "Edelweiss" - Dr. Yaroslav Kutsenko, President
Ukrainian Land and Resource Management Centre - Mr. Tyberiy Bauman, Dr. Mykola Zalohin.

The most important stakeholders at the Oblast level are State Administration of Zakarpatska Oblast, State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources in Zakarpatska Oblast, Industrial Administration for Melioration and Water Economy of Zakarpatska Oblast, and Administration for Forestry of Zakarpatska Oblast. They represent executive power and are responsible for the implementation of respective government polices in the Oblast.

The main potential stakeholders and their contact data are listed in annex 3. Complete information about stakeholders and their representatives is in the file TRBSDP_UA.xls (page "Institutes and Personnel") and in the meta-database of the Ukrainian National Part of the TRB SDP - MS Access file TRBSDP_UA.mdb (Table "Contacts") supplementing this report.

Description of the possible national focal point

The State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources of Zakarpatska Oblast is the main authority controlling the utilisation of natural resources and thus can influence environment-related issues in any sector of the economy. It is subordinated to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine, but also operates in close co-ordination with the State Administration of Zakarpatska Oblast - the main executive power in the area. Therefore it would be appropriate to have the national focal point representative from the Environmental Administration. It also might be expedient to have another representative in the central government. In this case it might be a person from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine

Proposal for organisation(s) to implement TRB SDP on large scale

The issue of potential implementing organisations for the TRB SDP was not directly discussed at the national workshops. However, the composition of the UNIG implies organisations that can be responsible for the realisation of the programme in the future.

The programme would be most efficiently implemented in Zakarpatska Oblast by those executive powers that control the utilisation of natural resources in the area. In the first instance these are:

State Administration for the Environment and Natural Resources in Zakarpatska Oblast
Industrial Administration for Melioration and Water Economy of Zakarpatska Oblast
Administration for Forestry of Zakarpatska Oblast.

The Programme implementation will need a certain legislative support that can be provided by the Council of Zakarpatska Oblast. It will be also necessary to seek support from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural
Resources of Ukraine on the stage of the programme development and implementation.

NGOs should play an important role in the public control of the implementation process. The most active and influential environmental NGOs of the oblast are:

Carpathian Environmental Club "Ruthenia"
Zakarpattia Environmental Club "Edelweiss"
Environmental Club "Karpaty"
Environmental Organisation "Ekosfera"

The implementing organisations will most probably need additional expertise that can be provided by the Faculties of Biology and Economy of Uzhgorod National University, as well as by the Faculty of Geography of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Assistance in obtaining and handling geo-spatial data can be sought from the Ukrainian Land and Resource Management Centre.

It was highlighted at the Second Ukrainian National Consultative Workshop that there is a need to create a special Information Centre/Institute of Zakarpattia Sustainable Development. The Centre/Institute should collect, analyse and present without bias information relevant to sustainable development of the Oblast, collected from different official and non-official sources. This will enable simplified access to information for all stakeholders, including on international level, of the TRB SDP.

Mapping

Recognised needs for sustainable development