On March 5-6, 2010, the National Consortium of the Reform Support Network "MODERNIZATION OF UKRAINE. DETERMINING REFORM PRIORITIES" was held in Kyiv. Representatives of 3 public organizations of the Volyn region also took part in it, in particular Mykhailo Shelep, head of the Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization "Association of Young Reformers". \n \nThe purpose of the event was the final public discussion of the revised strategy "Modernization of Ukraine. Determining Reform Priorities." The project is an unprecedented attempt in the history of independent Ukraine to unite an authorial team of more than forty leading independent Ukrainian analysts in order to present to society an expert vision of the most holistic picture of the key reforms needed by the state. \n \nThe organizers of the event were the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives with the support of the project "United for Reforms" (UNITER) and the International Renaissance Foundation. Active representatives of civil society, local self-government and political parties, leading analytical centers, scientific institutions and mass media took part in the discussion (over 150 participants). The main task of the National Consortium was to discuss the Road Map of Reforms, which will serve as a guideline for the activities of civil society organizations, politicians and business aimed at implementing modernization reforms in the country. \n \nThe National Consortium began with a welcoming speech by the Chairman of the Board of the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives, Ihor Kohut. He focused the attention of the meeting participants on the need to find public consensus around the reform project and the possibility of involving all parties interested in modernizing the state in a single Reform Support Network. Roland Kovacs, Director of the project "United for Reforms," during his welcoming speech spoke about the key role of an active civil society in the reform process, which should not wait for favorable conditions and the readiness of the official authorities to begin modernization, but instead should constantly pressure politicians and promote relevant initiatives. Moreover, in recent years Ukrainian civil society has made significant progress and continues to develop actively. Ihor Burakovskyi, Chairman of the Board of the International Renaissance Foundation, Director of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, testified to the existence in public consciousness of a demand for serious reforms. Therefore the main thing is to move away from traditional slogans and begin to act on the basis of concrete proposals, examples of which can be found in the draft Road Map of Reforms. The head of the apparatus of the Minister of Education and Science, Yaryna Yasynovych, also testified to the key role of public support for the reform process, without which modernization projects have no chance of being implemented. \n \nThe topic "Institutional Organization of the State and Territorial Self-Government" was presented by Ihor Koliushko (Center for Political and Legal Reforms), Anatolii Tkachuk (Institute of Civil Society) and Roman Kuibida (Center for Political and Legal Reforms), moderated by Roman Kobets (NGO "Ideal Country"). The main conclusions of the discussion were that the most serious problem in the sphere of public authority is the ineffectiveness of state institutions. Therefore an important task is the implementation of relevant reforms (of the executive power system, administrative-territorial structure, judicial system, etc.), the projects and models of which have already been developed by the domestic expert community. \n \nThe topic "Modernization of Ukraine: Socio-Economic Dimension" was presented by Ihor Burakovskyi (International Renaissance Foundation, Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting), Oleksandra Betlii (Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting) and Dmytro Naumenko (Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting). The topic was moderated by Yehor Soboliev (Bureau of Journalistic Investigations "Svidomo"). The main directions of reform in this sphere were identified as follows: fiscal policy, monetary policy, regulatory policy and privatization, social sphere, healthcare, infrastructure, agrarian policy and environmental protection. The integral idea of these reforms should be the concept of "sustainable development." \n \nThe block "Foreign Policy and State Security" was presented by Oleksandr Sushko (Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation) and Volodymyr Horbach (Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation), moderated by Viktoriia Siumar (Institute of Mass Information). The conclusion of the discussion was that the main problem points for Ukrainian foreign policy and national security are generated by problems and confrontation in domestic policy. Therefore Ukraine must develop such a system of foreign and security policy in which a change of people in one or another position does not entail a radical change in the state course in this sphere. \n \nThe topic "Fundamental Values of Democratic Changes" was presented by Maksym Latsyba (Ukrainian Independent Center for Political Research), Yevhen Zakharov (Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group) and Hanna Holubovska-Onisimova (All-Ukrainian Environmental Public Organization "MAMA-86"). The topic was moderated by Yuliia Tyshchenko (Ukrainian Independent Center for Political Research). The key proposals voiced in this block were: the need for the "greening" of politics, the implementation of reforms in the sphere of legislative support for the organization of civil society and human rights protection. \n \nAt the final stage of the National Consortium of the "Reform Support Network," the participants supported the Road Map of Reforms as a guideline in the process of promoting the idea of comprehensive modernization of the country. At the same time, the Chairman of the Board of the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives, Ihor Kohut, called for initiating discussion of the "Road Map" in various regions of Ukraine, disseminating it among the broadest strata of the Ukrainian public, and sending concrete proposals for improvement and supplementation. \n \nROAD MAP OF REFORMS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY - \n \n For additional information and to submit proposals, please contact by phone: +38 (044) 531 37 68 or write to the address: kateryna@laboratory.kiev.ua (contact person – Kateryna Sidash, Program Coordinator of the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives).