Amid the ongoing reform process of law enforcement agencies towards fair and impartial policing, the conference was aimed at discussing the issues of police openness and transparency, sharing experiences, and building cooperation between civil society and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights under the Ombudsman Plus model.

 

"The driving force of any change is active citizens. Thanks to them, we can make our law enforcement agencies more transparent, accessible, and democratic," UMDPL CEO Vadym Pyvovarov said in his welcoming remarks.

 

Iryna Kushnir, Representative of the Commissioner for drafting constitutional appeals and observance of the right of access to public information, drew upon the importance of access to public information in Ukraine and outlined the challenges facing the Commissioner in implementing the Law of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information."

 

Every citizen's unimpeded access to public information, especially in the law enforcement system, is an effective mechanism for the prevention of corruption and one of the signs of transparency of the law enforcement system as a whole. This was stressed by the conference's participants who vividly discussed the issues of law enforcement system openness in Ukraine.

 

 

"Open and transparent law enforcement is one of the priorities of Ukraine's pro-European aspirations, in particular, creating a system that provides three standards: transparency, accountability, and public participation," UMDPL expert Uliana Shadska underlined.

 

To establish new priorities in the field of openness and transparency of law enforcement bodies, Uliana Shadska shared the idea of developing the Open Police Strategy.

 

"Open Police Strategy is not just the introduction of tools for communication and access to information. Above all, it is a new management philosophy, built on the principles of transparency, accountability, collaboration, and public participation. We are convinced that without ensuring a high level of openness and interaction with the public, we cannot return people's confidence in the police," Ms. Shadska emphasized.

 

Improving public confidence in law enforcement requires great effort and a clear understanding of citizens' perceptions of the police, participants summed up. The conference's discussions and the search for new solutions inspired civic monitors for future achievements and proactive work.