U-LEAD with Europe Programme places significant emphasis on building trust, developing democracy and fostering cooperation within municipalities. Between 2024 and 2026, more than 200 municipalities joined the training programme “Steps for Specialists. Development of the Charter of a Municipality”, with their officials working alongside experts to draft the document.
The experience of the participating municipalities shows that the most important thing is to recognise the importance of drafting their charter, to explain this to residents and get them involved in the process, reflecting the diversity and uniqueness of each settlement within the municipality, as well as mechanisms for reporting, collaboration and public participation.
“This is what makes the process of drafting a charter of a municipality unique. The law provides local self-government bodies with a framework, but each charter is unlike all others,” said Liudmyla Hurba, an Adviser at the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Vinnytsia Oblast and Coordinator of the Working Group on Communication and Public Participation.
The charter of a municipality clearly sets out the ways in which residents can influence the local authorities. The document covers local initiatives, public consultations, online petitions and other forms of participation. That said, the way these mechanisms are implemented may vary from one municipality to another. For example, to consider an electronic petition, 150 signatures are required in Pereshchepyne, 250 in Sakhnovshchyna, 60 in Radyvyliv, 50 in Dubivtsi and Kyselivka, and 30 in Znob-Novhorodske, all depending on the working group’s reasoning and the residents’ opinions.
Pereshchepyne City Council initiated work on their charter in February 2025, and the final document underwent a series of public consultations in late August. The development of the charter was approached in a holistic manner: first, they undertook online training on forms of public participation, and then completed the training programme “Steps for Specialists. Development of the Charter of a Municipality”.
“U-LEAD training helped us to better understand the concept of the charter and its role. This allowed us to set out the procedures for participation so that residents understand where to go, which documents to look for, what to write, and how the cooperation process is organised,” said Viktoriia Shestopalova, the Acting Head of the Legal Department at Pereshchepyne City Council.
According to her, the information and advice provided by the experts helped them prepare for discussions with residents, explaining the purpose of drafting the charter, its importance, and how the document would affect the relationship between residents and the authorities. An interesting point is that Pereshchepyne’s charter itself stipulates mandatory annual awareness-raising events to inform residents about the text of the charter (Article 11), so that it remains a living document rather than a mere formality.
The charter plays a vital role in enhancing the transparency and accountability of the authorities. The document establishes the obligation for the head, members of the council and starostas to submit regular reports. Municipalities are also actively integrating digital tools and online platforms to provide open data and information on budgets, expenditure, revenue, projects, etc. — and they’re making this clear in their charters.
At the same time, the charter is not only about procedures; it is also about the character of a municipality. This is most evident in the sections where municipalities document their own identity, festivals and traditions, as well as information about famous local figures.
In the municipality of Znob-Novhorodske, Ivan Kupala Night, Wild Honey Festival and the unique vocal style of the local music groups, Verbychenka and Desnianka, have been identified as culturally significant. According to Leonid Sotnykov, the Head of the Department of Finance, Economic Development and Investment at the Executive Committee of Znob-Novhorodske Settlement Council, the charter should not be a pure formality. In addition to setting out the rights, responsibilities and forms of participation of residents, it should also be a document that the municipality can identify with.
Znob-Novhorodske’s working group comprised over 20 members representing various social and age groups, as well as a variety of professional fields. This helped to ensure that the needs and interests of all sections of the population were given their due consideration.
“For us, it was essential that the drafting of the charter involved not only officials, but also people representing different communities and different localities. We even factored in who would be more comfortable working with printed text and who preferred digital documents — so that participation would be genuine rather than just for show,” explained Mr Sotnykov.
He further underlined that the assistance provided by U-LEAD experts in this endeavour was invaluable. Training helped them understand the logic behind the document following changes to the legislation, as well as learn how to present it effectively, explain the benefits it offers to residents, and why it is important not simply to adopt it, but to ensure it is meaningful and relevant to people.
In Znob-Novhorodske municipality, discussions and finalisation of the draft document are still ongoing; this is due to security considerations and a commitment to ensuring the document is as informed and practical as possible. They expect to pass the document by the 10th anniversary of the municipality’s establishment.
Vitalii Yakovenko, a Secretary of Sakhnovshchyna Settlement Council, indicated that the municipality had already had a charter, but in 2025 it had been decided to bring it into line with the law.
“U-LEAD training programme helped us to streamline this task. We were able to submit the text of the charter to experts for review, who then advised us on what needed to be clarified or corrected. It really is important to have professional support and to feel that you are moving in the right direction,” he said.
Speaking about the process of drafting the charter for the settlement municipality of Sakhnovshchyna, Council Secretary Vitalii Yakovenko explained that numerous meetings had been held with residents in neighbourhood groups and starosta’s offices to ensure that the discussion of the draft charter was as inclusive and public as possible. The head, the starostas and the members of the council all joined in with this work.
“We felt it was important for residents to view the charter not as an abstract document, but as their own mini-constitution – something close to their hearts and of great meaning to them. That is why we incorporated elements related to ourselves and our local area into it. These are the things that bring the charter closer to the people. We’re already witnessing tangible interest,” he said.
In conclusion, Liudmyla Hurba emphasised:
“A charter of municipality is not a collection of formal rules, nor it is a mere copy of a template. It is a tool that enables a municipality to establish rules for cooperation, formalise forms of participation, enhance transparency, promote inclusivity, support young people, veterans and vulnerable groups and formalise its own identity. A well-drafted document helps the municipality to be more than just an administrative unit; it enables it to become a community with its own rules, values and vision for development.”
