The Ukrainian Bar Association invites you to join the 1st GR Forum, a key event for discussing transparent and ethical practices of interaction between the state, business, and civil society.

Date: February 21, 2025 (Friday).
Venue: Natsionalny Hotel (Eastern Hall, 3rd floor), 5 Lypska Street, Kyiv.
Format: Offline.

The working language is Ukrainian.

We are holding this Forum almost a year after the adoption of the Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying", which, after lengthy discussions, became the first step toward transparency and openness in the process of public decision-making.

The Forum's program will focus on pressing issues influencing the development of GR (government relations) in Ukraine. Discussion topics will include the significance of the Law of Ukraine "On Lobbying" as a crucial stage of European integration and a foundation for a civilized approach to lobbying activities. We will explore how businesses adapt to new challenges in the dynamic process of European integration and assess the state's readiness for new formats of cooperation with lobbying entities.

Key aspects of state-business interaction in the legislative process will also be addressed, including decision-making inclusivity, the role of business associations, in-house GR professionals, and external consultants in policy formation. Particular attention will be paid to ethics, transparency, and the necessity of GR education in Ukraine.

We invite you to become part of this important event and join a professional discussion with leading experts in law, business, public administration, and civil society. Together, we can outline the prospects for the development of ethical and systematic GR in Ukraine, discuss the creation of modern approaches to state-business interaction, and establish a platform for experience exchange that will foster transparent and ethical collaboration among all stakeholders.

PROGRAM

9:30-10:00 Participant registration. Welcome coffee

10:00-10:10 Opening remarks

Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Managing Partner AVELLUM

Alyona Shulima, PhD, Head of the UBA GR Committee, Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 1st GR Forum, Partner Pragma Consulting Group, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine

Yuriy Petrenko, Managing Partner ADER HABER, expert in business protection and lobbying services, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine

10:10-11:30 Session 1. Interaction between government and business through the prism of European integration

Moderator:

Alyona Shulima, PhD, Head of the UBA GR Committee, Partner Pragma Consulting Group

Key topics:

• GR in the negotiation process as a challenge and opportunity for the state and business
• Interaction between the state and business in the process of European integration as a form of inclusive decision-making 
• Influence of lobbying actors' participation on the quality of state decision-making in the context of European integration 
• Readiness of the state and business for the dynamic process of European integration and development of real transitional relations
• The Law of Ukraine “On Lobbying”: how the requirement of European integration gradually brings us closer to a civilized perception of lobbying  

Experts:

Oleh Bondarenko, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Chair of the VRU Committee on environmental policy and nature management

Vadym Halaichuk, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, First Deputy Chair of the VRU Committee on Ukraine’s EU Integration

Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic integration

Mykola Stetsenko, President of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Managing Partner AVELLUM

Inclusion within the session:

Clemens Mueller, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR), European Commission

11:30-11:50 Coffee Break

11:50-12:00 Presentation of research results on Business-Government interaction and GR services development in Law & Consulting Firms, conducted by Yurydychna Gazeta, the UBA GR Committee, and Pragma Consulting Group

Join the survey by February 14 via the provided link.

12:00-13:20 Session 2. GR in Ukraine: the sectoral aspect

Moderator: 

Alyona Shulima, PhD, Head of the UBA GR Committee, Partner Pragma Consulting Group

Key topics:

• Interaction between the state and business as a form of inclusive decision-making 
• Business influence on the quality of public decision-making in sectoral reforms
• The role of business coalitions in promoting sectoral reforms
• Lobbying: new law, new opportunities for sectoral cooperation between business and the state
• Business participation in Ukraine's recovery through the Business Ombudsman Council

Experts:

Yuliya Malich, Public Policy Head Bolt

Artem Petrenko, Executive Director of the Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine 

Dmytro Polyansky, Senior Recovery Manager at the Business Ombudsman Council

Mykhailo Tretiakov, Managing Partner Azones

Viktor Zalizniuk, Head of GR Practice ADER HABER

13:20-14:15 Lunch

14:15-14:30 Interview with NACP Head Viktor Pavlushchyk on the preparation for the implementation of the law of Ukraine "On Lobbying"

Interviewer:

Viktor Zalizniuk, Head of GR practice ADER HABER

14:30-15:50 Session 3. (Not) Willing to be a Lobbyist

Moderator:

Artur Martynenko, Deputy Chairman UBA GR Committee, Director of GR Department at BGV Group Management 

Key topics:

• A lobbying specialist is a profession that should become commonplace for us 
• Advocacy vs. Lobbying: in search of public interest
• Business associations, In-house GR, and external consultants: synergy of influence
• What is ethical intellectual GR, and does it exist?
• Are Influence stakeholders Ready to gain lobbying status?

Experts:

Anton Basystyi, EBA Committee Manager

Nataliya Boyko, Head and Co-Founder of the Government Relations Center, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine on Energy, Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board Naftogaz of Ukraine

Iryna Dyachuk, GR Director Fozzy Group

Olena Sukmanova, Partner Sayenko Kharenko

15:50-16:20 Coffee Break

16:20-17:40 Session 4. GR education & awareness

Moderator:

Olena Yaliieva, Advisor Pragma Consulting Group, Member of the UBA GR Committee Board

Key topics:

• Perspectives and formats for GR education development in Ukraine
• Building a community of GR specialists: experience of the Center for Government Relations
• Ethics as the cornerstone of GR: a systematic approach to GR awareness
• Raising public awareness of ethical intellectual GR as a path to its establishment in Ukraine

Experts:

Anastasiia Iezerska, Head of the stakeholder engagement and anti-corruption policy adoption Department at NACP

Anna Zarudna, Co-founder of the Government Relations Center, Coordinator of the "Government relations specialist" MBA Program at KSE

Anna Tarantsova, Founder of GR Academy, GR specialist

Closing remarks

Save the date in your calendars, follow our updates, and join our partnerships!

We look forward to welcoming you to the I GR Forum on February 21, 2025!

We are grateful for the support in organizing this event:

General Partners:

ADER HABER

Pragma Consulting Group

Session Partners:

Azones

Sayenko Kharenko

Registration is required to participate in the event.

Participation is confirmed upon payment of the registration fee.

Dear UBA members, please log in before starting the event registration.

The option to purchase a video recording is available. Please contact the event coordinator to implement this option.

The organizers reserve the right to close registration if the maximum number of participants is reached.

For additional information about the event, speaking opportunities, and partnership possibilities, please contact us at: Phone: +38 (063) 792-30-99 (calls via WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) or email: tosaulenko@uba.ua. Event coordinator – Tetiana Osaulenko.

For media accreditation, write to pr@uba.ua. Contact person – Dmytro Cheretun.