In 2015, Ukrainian civil society continued to play a leading role in defending the gains of the Euromaidan
Revolution and pushing the parliament and government to advance reforms in the eighteen areas outlined in
the Road Map of Reforms developed by the Reanimation Package of Reforms (RPR) initiative. Throughout
the year, civic activists, experts, and journalists from the RPR were engaged in the development of 119 laws,
sixty of which were adopted by the parliament.

This publication presents the results of a mapping study of Ukrainian civil society organizations (CSOs) conducted in the period from May to September 2015. The main goals of the study are to:  define the term “civil society” in the Ukrainian context, define the term and attributes of a “civil society organization”, list types of organizations that can qualify as CSOs in Ukraine, and identify obstacles and needs these organizations have in terms of their development and growth. The report will be useful to government/public authorities, international organizations, intergovernmental organizations, researchers, donor organizations and CSOs.

This report is prepared as a part of the Democratization, Human Rights and Civil Society Development in Ukraine Project, which is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. All content, conclusions and recommendation are the responsibility of the CCC Creative Center and do not necessary reflect the views of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UNDP.

2014 was a turbulent year for Ukraine. The Euromaidan protests, or Revolution of Dignity, which started in November 2013 following the government’s abandonment of the EU integratation agenda, developed into a revolt against the regime of then President Viktor Yanukovych in early 2014. Confrontation between the Yanukovych regime and the Euromaidan protesters worsened in mid-January with the adoption of laws intended to stifle the protest and radically limit political rights and freedoms. While these laws were quickly overturned, they galvanized Ukrainian society. Following the shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Kyiv at the end of February, Yanukovych fled the country, leaving a power vacuum that the parliamentary opposition quickly filled. The new parliamentary majority immediately announced presidential elections in May, resulting in the election of Petro Poroshenko.  

This publication presents the results of the annual study of Ukrainian civil society organizations (CSOs) conducted in the period of May – July 2014. The main goal of the study was to identify the level of development of the Ukrainian civil society organizations in 2013 and major development trends observed in the period of 2002-2013. Besides, the report includes findings of the needs assessment of the civil society organizations as well as the challenges they face at the national and regional levels. The report also gives recommendations to the government/public authorities, donor organizations, and CSOs.