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The Statement by
The Anti-Crisis Council of NGOs
To address the entire civil society of Ukraine
April 3, 2015, the city of Kyiv
Our country continues to see an unprecedented socio-economic crisis, the military and political risks have not weakened. The crisis is destroying the Ukrainian economy and industry, causing an unprecedented decline in the living standards of our citizens, threatening social upheaval. In January-February 2015 alone, the decline in industrial production was 21.7% year-over-year. According to UN standards, Ukraine has become a country with the highest level of poverty.
Wasting no time, every effort should be taken to stop the collapse of the economy, which will be able to realize its enormous potential to prevent further impoverishment of the population if it is managed reasonably and the corruption is fought strongly. Possibilities and resources of the legislative and executive branches of government at all levels and civil society should be concentrated around this in order to unconditionally implement a joint plan of anti-crisis social and economic activities and carry out systematic measures to build a European-type state.
The Anti-Crisis Council of Ukraine's NGOs supports the need for holding a national roundtable talk on the development of Ukraine. It should work on the basis of permanent democratic dialogue between the state and society, to be an effective platform of communication and understanding. Using this tool, the authorities – the President, the Parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine – could establish effective feedback from civil society, experts, and professionals. Such a dialogue, in addition to the exchange of views, should be used to work out a mechanism to find solutions to problems, a platform for public reports by the authorities about results, and demonstrate to our international partners the openness and transparency of the government's work.
The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been ratified. This is our civilized choice related to the desire to introduce modern democratic values in Ukrainian society, achieve a fundamentally new level of economic development and quality of life. The deep and comprehensive free trade area will be launched soon. At the same time, Ukraine has not yet realized itself as part of European community and has not got prepared for risks related to increased competition. We must immediately develop a program to adapt and upgrade Ukraine's economy to comply with the free trade regime. We are confident that the participants in the national roundtable talk on the development of Ukraine should include representatives of the European Union, EU diplomatic missions and non-governmental organizations and other major international institutions.
We believe that a program to transform Ukraine to meet present-day challenges should become one of the central issues to be discussed at the national roundtable talk on the development of Ukraine.
We are confident that partnership, consolidation of efforts by all real patriots of Ukraine, people who care for its future, who understand the depth of the current problems – representatives of the government, civil society, culture, clergy, the youth, etc. – will professionally, without unnecessary pathos and populism, elaborate and implement a program to counter the social and economic crisis in the country and further its development. Only dialogue at a roundtable talk, intellectual patriotism-based achievements by all participants – researchers, entrepreneurs, civilians, the military – will help articulate and make real the National Program of Revival of Ukraine. The ball's in your court.