The document is intended to consolidate the efforts of the parties to strengthen democratic institutions in Ukraine, bringing them closer to European standards, and to protect citizens' political (particularly electoral) rights. This is important, as respect for human rights is a key political criterion for EU accession.
According to the memorandum, the parties will cooperate to:
- Inform citizens about the legislative and practical aspects of exercising their electoral rights;
- Assist in harmonizing legislative criteria regarding the possibility or impossibility of holding elections in certain territories of Ukraine;
- Support the introduction of legal guarantees and procedures that promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all groups of voters during elections;
- Conduct joint training and educational events to build skills for protecting citizens' rights during the organization and conduct of elections;
- Conduct joint research in the area of guaranteeing the active and passive electoral rights of Ukrainian citizens who are abroad due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation.
Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets noted that he is ready for systemic cooperation at both the national and regional levels and is convinced that OPORA will be able to strengthen the Commissioner's Office on the issue of political rights.
Olga Aivazovska, Head of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, in turn, emphasized the problem of "political violence" and electoral integrity, which are also the focus of the OPORA team's work.
OPORA's activities planned within the framework of the Memorandum will be implemented within the project "Promoting Democratic Integrity and Governance in Ukraine," carried out with the financial support of the EU, as well as the project "Fair Observation and Reforms to Ensure Transparent, Inclusive, and Free Elections in Ukraine (FORTIFY)" with the support of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.