On February 21, the Ukrainian Bar Association held the First GR Forum in Kyiv. The event's programme was very rich and covered the most pressing issues of GR development in Ukraine.

In the welcoming speech Mykola Stetsenko, President of the UBA, Managing Partner at AVELLUM, thanked the Defence Forces of Ukraine and lawyers and all people who are currently defending the country at the frontline.

Mr. Stetsenko also noted that the UBA is holding the GR Forum a year after the adoption of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Lobbying’, which was the first step towards transparency and openness in public decision-making.

Mykola Stetsenko praised the adoption of the Law on Lobbying. He noted that the UBA is committed to joining the process of discussing legislative initiatives. At the same time, Mr. Stetsenko noted that if the legal community does not agree with the proposed changes, it will organise events such as the I GR Forum and explain its position.

‘The main thing is that together today we will define the prospects for the development of ethical and systemic GR, discuss modern approaches to interaction between government and business and create a platform for the exchange of experience that will contribute to the formation of transparent, responsible and effective cooperation of all stakeholders,’ said the UBA President.

Alyona Shulima, PhD, Head of the UBA GR Committee, Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 1st GR Forum, Partner at Pragma Consulting Group, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, and Yuriy Petrenko, Managing Partner at ADER HABER, expert in business protection and lobbying services, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, also had their greeting words to the participants of the Forum.

The first session of the Forum was dedicated to the interaction between government and business through the prism of European integration. Alyona Shulima moderated this sufficient discussion.

The speakers discussed a number of important issues, including the role of GR in the negotiation process as a challenge and opportunity for the state and business. They also considered the interaction between the state and business in the process of European integration as a form of inclusive decision-making.

Experts discussed the impact of lobbying on the quality of government decision-making in the context of European integration and the importance of state and business readiness for the dynamic process of European integration. They also raised the issue of developing real transitional relations between the state and business

The second session of the I GR Forum was dedicated to a sectoral aspect of GR in Ukraine. The discussion was again moderated by Alyona Shulima.

The session discussed important aspects of cooperation between the state and business as a form of inclusive decision-making. One of the main topics was the role of business in influencing the quality of government decision-making in the framework of sectoral reforms.

Experts also considered the role of business coalitions in promoting sectoral reforms, emphasising how important it is to consolidate efforts to achieve positive changes in various sectors of the economy.

The speakers also discussed business involvement in Ukraine's restoration process through the Business Ombudsman Council, emphasising the importance of active participation of the business community in providing support on the path to restore.

The Forum also presented the results of a study on the interaction between business and the state, as well as the development of GR services in law firms and consulting companies, conducted jointly by Yurydychna Gazeta, the UBA GR Committee and Pragma Consulting Group. Alyona Shulima spoke about some of the results, including:

1) the number of survey participants is 63 (29% — business representatives, 71% — law firms);

2) most of the surveyed representatives of law firms point to the growing demand for GR services, while most companies do not engage external consultants;

3) the majority of the surveyed companies prefer to separate the GR function into a separate practice/department;

4) the majority of respondents say they are not going to register with the Transparency Register, as their activities do not fall within the scope of the Law on Lobbying;

5) the majority of legal business representatives believe that the enactment of the Law on Lobbying will have a positive impact on the development of the market for such services in Ukraine; at the same time, the position of real business is more reserved.

Within the framework of the GR Forum, an interview with Viktor Pavlushchyk, Head of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), was held. Viktor Zalizniuk, Head of GR Practice at ADER HABER, spoke with the official.

The main topic of the interview was the preparation for the enactment of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Lobbying’. In particular, Mr. Pavlushchyk noted that the launch of the Transparency Register website, which will contain information on lobbying entities, largely depended on USAID funding. Now, after the suspension of this organisation, the state is looking for other sources of funding to launch the website.

The NACP Head also stressed that lobbying ethics should be developed by joint efforts of the state and society.

The topic of the third session was ‘(Not) Willing to be a Lobbyist’. The discussion was moderated by Artur Martynenko, Deputy Chairman of the UBA GR Committee, Director of the GR Department at BGV Group Management.

The speakers of the panel discussed important issues of lobbying development in Ukraine. One of the main topics was the question of why a lobbying specialist should become a common profession in our country. Experts also discussed the difference between advocacy and lobbying.

The topic of synergy of influence created by business associations, in-house and external consultants was equally relevant. Special attention was paid to ethical intellectual GR, a new approach to lobbying that combines ethical standards and strategic thinking.

The fourth and final session of the I GR Forum was dedicated to GR education and awareness. The panel was moderated by Olena Yaliieva, Counsel at Pragma Consulting Group, Member of the UBA GR Committee Board.

The speakers discussed the prospects and forms of GR education development in Ukraine, and shared their experience and experience of the Centre for Government Relations in forming a community of GR specialists.

Particular attention was paid to ethical standards in GR and a systematic approach to GR education as a prerequisite for implementing high standards in practice

For a photo report from the event, please follow the link.

The UBA is grateful for the support in organising the Forum:

• General Partners of the event: ADER HABER, Pragma Consulting Group;
• Session Partners: Azones, Sayenko Kharenko.

We also thank the media partners of the Forum:

• Yurydychna Gazeta;
• LIGA ZAKON;
• Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine);
• American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (ACC);
• European Business Association;
• Ukrainian Capital Markets Association (UCMA);
• Ukrainian Association of Investment Business (UAIB);
• Ukrainian Business Council;
• ACKERMANN PR-bureau;
• Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovative Companies (UAFIC);
• GR Academy;
• Center of Excellence in Government Relations.