Daphne Jade Panes AB 3-A

Reflection on the Influences of International Organizations on Ukraines Political System

Ukraine, once referred to as "little Russia" because of its cultural similarity to its larger neighbor
is the birthplace of the Russian Orthodox faith, and sits squarely on Russias border. In post-Soviet
Europe there were indeed good practical reasons to encourage the transition to popular government
for nations that had suffered under totalitarianism for forty-five years, but the process has both gotten
out of hand and has focused too much on introducing western democratic norms without any regard for
local ability to absorb such developments.
Politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic
republic and of a multi-party system. Scholars have described Ukraine's political system as "weak,
fractured, highly personal and ideologically vacuous while the judiciary and media fail to hold politicians
to account". In the present, several international organizations, however, has influenced the goal of
Ukraine to further and promote its democratic institutions. Its economic standing and social mobility
was adjusted by standards raised to issue global competency. Prominent international organizations like
the European Union, Council of Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UNESCO, and Black Sea
Economic Cooperation were chosen as the means of analyzing the effects of international organizations
to the political system of a certain domain.
Ukraine- Council of Europe
Nowadays the main point of the cooperation of Ukraine with the Council of Europe contains
following elements: reformation of existing legislation, elaboration and implementation of the new one
according to the standards of the Council of Europe at the branch of human rights and superiority of
law; cooperation at the branch of ensuring the freedom in functioning of mass media; development of
tolerant democratic society, which would be based on European standards, including those concerning
social rights and rights of national minorities, equality of rights between men and women, protection of
children, etc; unification of efforts to increase the efficiency of fight against terrorism, corruption and
organized crime.
Action Plan for Ukraine (AP) is a joint strategic initiative of the Council of Europe and the
Ukrainian authorities to support Ukraine in fulfilling its statutory and specific obligations as a Council of
Europe Member State, to consolidate achievements since accession in 1995, and to help Ukraine meet
new challenges. It renews the Organizations commitment to support Ukraines ambitious and important
domestic and European agenda for reform in the areas of expertise of the Council of Europe Human
Rights, the Rule of Law and Democracy.
The AP 2011-2014 was prepared in conformity with the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness, to allow Ukraine to exercise effective leadership over its development policies and
strategies, and to encourage Ukraine to co-ordinate development actions. Designed in close
collaboration with the Ukrainian authorities to better align national legislation, institutions and practices
with European standards, the AP supports the Ukrainian authorities in their efforts to meet their
commitments towards the Council of Europe and to fulfill the countrys European ambitions.
UNESCO
As UNESCO memberstate Ukraine has been initiating various international programs and
projects. Among them those that are aimed at more effective use of communication and information
technologies to strengthen world peace, ban war propaganda, violence and ethnic hatred. These efforts
resulted in 1978 in the elaboration and adoption of the corresponding Declaration on Fundamental
Principles concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International
Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, apartheid and
incitement to war. Besides, that same year Ukraine became the co-author of UNESCOs Declaration on
Race and Racial Prejudice. The country has also participated in the projects on enhancing UNESCOs role
in establishing New International Economic Order and spreading the knowledge about Slavik culture in
the world.
Cooperation between Ukraine and UNESCO is fruitfully developing as two parties maintain their
regular political dialogue. There have occurred five UNESCOs General Director visits to Ukraine.
Amadou-Mahtar MBou paid the visit to Ukraine in May, 1982. Federico Mayor (Spain) was twice to the
country in April 1991 and November 1997. Koichiro Matsuura (Japan) arrived in the country for a two-
day visit in September 2000 and Irina Bokova visited Ukraines capital, the City of Kyiv, in April 2011.
NATO
The Charter set political commitments of both sides to continue developing on high level a
distinctive and effective partnership, which will promote further stability and common democratic
values in Central and Eastern Europe. Also it formed the basis on which NATO and Ukraine agree to
consult in the context of Euro-Atlantic security and stability and in the areas such as conflict prevention,
crisis management, peace support and humanitarian operations. The NATO-Ukraine Commission has
been created as a forum to ensure that NATO and Ukraine are developing their relationship and
implementing the provisions of this Charter to the fullest extent possible.
BSEC
According to the BSECs Charter and the Istanbul Summit Declaration the main priority of the
Organization is creating a unique and promising model of multilateral political and economic
cooperation aimed at fostering interaction and harmony among the Member States, as well as ensuring
peace, stability and prosperity encouraging friendly and good-neighborly relations in the Black Sea
region.
The main BSEC statutory documents defined the priorities of sectoral cooperation in different
fields directed at the achievement of concrete results. In the area of sectoral cooperation BSEC
concentrates its efforts on the activities in following spheres: trade and economic development; banking
and finance; communications; energy; transport; agriculture and agro-industry; health care and
pharmaceutics; environmental protection; tourism; science and technology; exchange of statistical data
and economic information; collaboration between customs and other border authorities; human
contacts; combating organized crime, illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons and radioactive materials, all
acts of terrorism and illegal migration, or in any other related area.
European Union
The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Ukraine that goes beyond mere
bilateral cooperation, encompassing gradual progress towards political association and economic
integration.
The European Union has considered the importance of Ukraine as an integral part of common
European space and elaborated special instruments for development the mutually beneficial relations.
The EU and Ukraine have signed bilateral agreements; Ukraine has joined to different European program
of assistance and cooperation. The main goals of this wide range of documents are to stimulate internal
transformation of Ukraine as well as to convergence Ukraines political, economic and social system to
the European one. From its side, Kyiv has stressed out the vital significance to build close relationship
with Europe and its will to put reforms into effect aiming to integrate to the EU in ten-fifteen years.
Nevertheless nowadays the EU and Ukraine still share a border and are direct neighbors, which
recognize their political and economic interdependence. So there is a necessity to work together within
Ukraine-EU dialogue for creating an area of stability, peace, sustainable development and overwhelming
social and economic progress on the EU external borders. It is worth to be mentioned that Ukrainian
case is a challenge to the EU and its status as one of the world powers.