September 8, 2006 Workshop for IOM partner NGOs on Legal Aspects of NGO Functioning in Ukraine

   On 8 September 2006, IOM Mission in Ukraine, in the framework of the Danish Programme Against Human Trafficking in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and in cooperation with the Creative Centre “Counterpart”, conducted a capacity building event for its partners on legal aspects of NGO functioning in Ukraine.

   The work of NGOs in Ukraine is governed by the multitude of legal acts lying in the sphere of constitutional law, civil law, economic law, corporate law, tax law, public regulation of social services licensing, social investments, etc.

Therewith, often NGOs’ human and financial resources are primarily focused on their immediate tasks, and NGOs rarely have time and opportunity to study in detail and analyze the legislation governing third sector. As a consequence, their capacity to use all of the rights, benefits and preferences provided to them by the national legislation, to track the updates and to meet certain legal demands, is quite limited.

Aiming to help NGOs involved in counter-trafficking activities to better navigate in the complicated legal environment and address their every-day needs, the workshop focused on the following topics:

- Third sector: problems in legal regulation;
- Nongovernmental organizations and government: new possibilities for co-operation;
- NGO fundraising through the legal perspective;
- Social contracting;
- Provision of social services;
- Competitive mechanisms. 
 
   The workshop gathered 42 representatives of 36 IOM partner NGOs from 23 Ukrainian oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

   All of the workshop participants were provided with the Manual on legal aspects of NGO functioning developed by legal experts of the Creative Centre “Counterpart” and designated to help NGOs in their daily operations.

   The workshop participants evaluated the topic of the workshop as “the pressing issue” and “a priority for the organization”; and the vast majority called the workshop “very useful and applicable”.