On 10-11 November 2025, the Annual Conference of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum took place online.
Results of the Annual Conference
The Annual Conference programme was extensive and varied.
The first day of the Conference was opened by a public discussion “Enlargement Report 2025: Civil Society Assessment”.
Delegates discussed the draft UNP Position Paper and UNP Gender Equality Policy.
The conference included coordinators’ reports and planning in working groups, during which the participants developed a number of ideas for joint activities for 2026.
Sintia Bernava,, representative of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in the Ukraine-EU Civil Society Platform, Chairman of the Board of DONUM ANIMUS (Latvia), addressed the participants of UNP Annual Conference 2025.
Let’s get acquainted with the results of UNP Annual Conference in detail
The event was held to discuss the 2025 EU Enlargement Package Report, was published on November 4, focusing on the European Commission’s assessment of Ukraine’s annual progress in reforms and transformations toward EU membership across all negotiation chapters.
The online event brought together over 100 participants, including Ukrainian and European experts, parliamentarians, and representatives of civil society.
Key discussion questions:
- Ukraine’s annual progress: evaluation and signals from the European Commission.
- Attacks on anti-corruption institutions: does the Report include safeguards against repeated attempts?
- Successful and problematic negotiation clusters and chapters for Ukraine.
- Dynamics of Ukraine’s progress compared to other candidate countries.
- Roadmap for EU integration reforms: how much time is needed for implementation?
- Prospects for opening negotiation clusters and Ukraine’s “homework” in the close perspective
- The role of the Ukraine Facility in the negotiation process.
- Assessment of the role and operating conditions of civil society in continuing democratic reforms.
Opening remarks: Ruslan HAVRYLIUK, National Coordinator, Ukrainian National Platform EaP CSF, Lasha TUGHUSHI, Director, Liberal Academy Tbilisi Foundation, Co-chair of the EaP CSF Steering Committee (Brussels, Belgium) and Andrea RAIMONDI, Interim Director, EaP CSF Secretariat (Brussels, Belgium).
SPEAKERS:
- Pavlo BAKUNETS, Member of Parliament of Ukraine
- Ina COȘERU, Ex-MP of Moldova, Ex-Chair of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration, 11th Legislature, Deputy Chair of PAS Party
- Andris GOBIŅŠ, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee
- Vira NEDZVEDSKA, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, East Europe Foundation
- Olga KVASHUK, Manager, “Europe and the World” Program, International Renaissance Foundation
- Mykhailo ZHERNAKOV, co-founder and executive director of the DEJURE Foundation
- Viktoriia MELNYK, Coordinator of the “European Integration” Program, Center for Political and Legal Reforms
- Nadiia AFANASIEVA, Director, Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, Coordinator of WG1, EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform
- Igor BURAKOVSKIY, Chairman of the Board, Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER)
- Anton ANTONENKO, Vice President, DiXi Group
- Nataliya ANDRUSEVYCH, Chairwoman of the Board, Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment”, Coordinator of WG3, Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF
- Tamara MALKOVA, Executive Director, Green Dossier Information Center, Coordinator of WG5, EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform
- Ivan KULCHYTSKIY, President, NGO “Agency of European Innovations”, Coordinator of WG4, Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF, and WG6 of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform
More details about the discussion and video recording on the UNP website.
On 11 November, a presentation and discussion of the draft UNP Position Paper “Preserving and restoring human capital in Ukraine: wartime challenges and UNP EaP CSF recommendations” was held, which was prepared by UNP SC Member.
This position paper has been prepared by the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF to convey to Ukrainian authorities and international partners why preserving and restoring human capital must be a priority issue for Ukraine during the war and post-war recovery period. The document outlines major trends in forced migration of Ukrainians abroad and associated challenges for the country, examines the current roles of the government and EU in facilitating the return of Ukrainians, and offers recommendations aimed at bringing our fellow citizens home.
The document was presented by Natalia Andrusevich, Resource and Analytical Center “Society and Environment”, coordinator of WG3 UNP.
Marta Chumalo, Center for Women’s Perspectives, Coordinator of WG1 UNP presented to the Conference delegates the draft document “UNP Gender Policy”. The draft Policy was prepared by members of an inter-sectoral working subgroup that included representatives of almost all UNP working groups, and the work on the policy took into account the recommendations of an online survey conducted on September 1-21, 2025 among UNP members on proposals for the Platform’s gender policy.
The document confirms and describes the mechanisms by which UNP supports the principles of human rights and contributes to the achievement of gender equality in all areas of activity.
After additions from the UNP Conference participants, the draft documents were submitted for discussion and support by UNP members.
During the Annual Conference, the current coordinators reported on the activities of the working groups (October 2024 – September 2025), since the last Annual Conference, which took place on October 30-31, 2024.
National Coordinator Ruslan Havrylyuk presented a report on the activities of the UNP to the participants of the Conference.
The conference included a planning session in working groups, during which participants developed a number of ideas for joint activities in the coming months.
Iryna Kuropas, coordinator of WG2 of the UNP, noted the key results of the Conference:
🔹 Ukraine has shown the greatest progress during its candidacy, maintaining the pace of reforms even during a full-scale war.
🔹 It is necessary to move on to opening negotiation clusters, which will become a powerful signal of the irreversibility of the European course.
🔹 The pace of reforms is still insufficient to achieve the goal of accession by 2030. Coordination of the state, parliament, experts and civil society is needed.
🔹 It is important to strengthen communication between CSOs and government structures and actively conduct information campaigns. Practice shows that many communities and residents of Ukraine still do not fully understand the essence and requirements of European integration changes.
🔹 European integration is, first of all, the internal modernization of Ukraine: the rule of law, effective governance, transparency, sustainable development, participation, etc.
Video (original version)
Video (English version)
UNP Coordinator Report
UNP Coordinator Report Presentation
UNP WGs Coordinators Report Presentation
The event was held within the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union. Individual opinions expressed at the event are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
