The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC) in partnership with the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) conducted a virtual seminar with members of the Verkhovna Rada in Ukraine entitled “The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Legislators” on 11 June 2020.  The seminar was designed to bring together members of the U.S. Congress and members of the Parliament of Ukraine to discuss their respective legislative efforts to address the pandemic and wider economic and security impacts of the crisis. 

Representative David Price (Chairman of the HDP), Representative Adrian Smith, Representative Gerald Connolly, Representative Norma Torres, and Representative Robin Kelly represented the U.S. Congress while Members of Parliament Mrs. Mariana Bezuhla, Mr. Yehor Cherniev, Mr. Vadym Halaychuk, Mr. Serhii Ionushas, and Mrs. Galyna Mykhailiuk represented the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.  The virtual seminar was opened by LTG (ret.) Keith Dayton, Director, GCMC and was moderated by Dr. Valbona Zeneli, Chair of the GCMC Strategic Initiatives Department, and Mr. Derek Luyten, Executive Director of the HDP.

The legislators who participated were able to discuss a wide range of topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  They exchanged best practices on conducting their business during the health crisis including proxy voting, voting in small groups, and virtual committee hearings, and the challenges the pandemic has created for their work.  Participants also talked about Ukraine’s continuing efforts to integrate with the Euroatlantic community by reforming their economic policies and developing more effective security sector legislation.  Overall, the event demonstrated U.S. commitment to strengthening bi-lateral relations with Ukraine, while also supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and efforts to regain control of its territory in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) is a bipartisan, twenty-member commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that works directly with legislatures around the world to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislative institutions.  Central to its work is peer-to-peer cooperation to build technical expertise in partner legislatures that enhances accountability, transparency, legislative independence, access to information, and government oversight.