Odesa’s 2024 Draft City Charter: Positive and Negative Aspects
Since 2022, Green Leaf has devoted considerable attention to the current Charter of the City of Odesa, adopted in its 2011 version. In our analysis “Charter of the City of Odesa: Analysis of Shortcomings” we showed that the Charter has an openly anti-Ukrainian wording, makes any civic activity more difficult, and expands the powers of the executive committee at the expense of the powers of the elected council. After that, taking into account the problems exposed by this analysis, the city began developing a new City Charter.
The first draft of the new Charter was published in 2023. At the same time, the city administration announced that it would collect comments and proposals from the public on the draft. In addition to Green Leaf NGO, which presented its position in “Comments and Proposals on the Draft Charter of the City of Odesa”, other civic associations and individual specialists also examined the document, each in their own field and each submitting comments and/or proposals.
It took the city authorities more than a year to take public opinion into account, after which they presented the 2024 draft Charter of the City of Odesa, for which comments and proposals are being accepted through 9 September 2024.
The good
In terms of content, one positive aspect of the new draft is that many of the identified errors and shortcomings have indeed been corrected. At long last, Odesa City Council has acknowledged that Odesa is a city within Ukraine! Finally!!! To recall, the 2011 version stated the following: “Odesa residents are proud of their traditions of courage and patriotism, rooted in the exploits of Russian servicemen and Ukrainian Cossacks.” It was also possible to push through the abandonment of the practice of publishing civic activists’ personal data on the official website and to bring the number of votes required for civic initiatives down to objectively reasonable levels.
The bad
The proposals we submitted in 2023 to include the following provisions in the draft Charter:
- — on transparency of the city budget and public involvement in the budget process (not to be confused with the participatory budget);
- — on municipal enterprises;
- — on municipal property and its disposal;
- — on negligent performance by city-council deputies of their duties, negligent performance by officials of local self-government executive bodies of their official duties, and remuneration for their work;
were ignored altogether. This points to a selective approach and a desire on the part of the local authorities to preserve their political influence and financial influence that creates corruption risks.
The city authorities’ reluctance to include young people aged 14 to 18 in the city’s political life and to give them voting rights in forms of direct participation in resolving issues of local importance, subject to restrictions established by law, is difficult to understand. It is true that voting rights in elections and referendums begin at age 18. Yet in other forms of local democracy the city authorities demonstrate a clear reluctance to involve people aged 14 to 18. Whether this is fear of young people, who are one of the drivers of change in Ukraine, or something else is difficult to say. But the exclusion of this age group from the current Charter and the 2023 draft, and the granting of only an advisory vote to this age group in the 2024 draft Charter, clearly point to this. This is despite the fact that young people in this age group may serve on the youth council under the mayor.
There is no indication whatsoever of an intention to use the right provided by current legislation to establish rules of deputy ethics and measures to be applied to city-council deputies who violate those rules.
Some provisions of the draft Charter do not comply with current legislation.
- 1. Clause 5 of Part 5 of Article 23 refers to “self-taxation,” which was abolished at the end of 2010.
- 2. Although the law directly requires local self-government bodies to publish information about publicly owned property, the city council merely “facilitates” the creation and maintenance of such a register for some reason.
- 3. A mayoral oath has now also been added, but the procedure for taking it is incorrect. Moreover, once the new Law enters into force, the text of the Oath set out in the draft Charter will not correspond to the text of the Oath in the new Law. It is even less clear why this provision should be included in the Charter at all when it is already regulated by legislation.
- 4. Russian narratives again appear among the city’s holidays and commemorative dates, such as 2 September as City Day, even though it has long been demonstrated that this is an artificial date. They also want to introduce an unclear celebration on 3 September as “Twin City and Partner City Day.” Yet the internationally recognized date is World Twinning Day, established in 1963 by the World Federation of United Cities and observed on the last Sunday of April. The proposal to establish city holidays and commemorative dates by analogy with the way the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine does so was also ignored.
- 5. They are also trying to leave unchanged the mayor’s right, acting alone or through a city-council decision, to establish other distinctions and awards of the territorial community at any time.
- 6. The situation with the city’s district administrations is unclear, as their functions duplicate those of specialized structures within the executive bodies. Yet city-budget funds are continuously spent on them.
- 7. It is unclear on what grounds those collecting signatures in support of civic initiatives or public hearings are to be required to verify the documents of people signing in support of such an initiative or hearing. Current legislation does not provide for this.
- 8. It is unacceptable to replace the city-council deputies’ obligation to consider draft decisions arising from a civic initiative with the deputies’ discretion over whether to consider such issues at all. Instead of mandatory consideration, the central requirement would become merely placing such a proposal before the council chamber.
- 9. There are also questions about reducing the number of votes required to amend or repeal the Charter.
On renaming toponymic objects.
We will separately address the renaming of toponymic objects. The 2023 draft Charter sought to allow city toponymic objects to be named or renamed after individuals only ten years after their death. In effect, this would prohibit naming toponymic objects after fallen service members — people who gave their lives defending Ukraine from the Russian horde.
To date, five streets in Odesa have been renamed after Heroes, but the process was accompanied by numerous scandals. The 2024 draft Charter introduces an exception: for commemorating fallen warriors whose life and/or activity was connected with the city of Odesa and who, since February 2014, received the title Hero of Ukraine; were full holders of the Order for Courage (Classes I, II and III together); the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi (Classes I, II and III together); or, for women, the Order of Princess Olha (Classes I, II and III together). In effect, all warriors who died defending Ukraine would be divided into those who received state awards and those who, for whatever reason, did not.
Conclusion
Green Leaf NGO is currently completing its analysis of the proposed 2024 draft Charter. After we submit our comments and proposals to Odesa City Council, they will be published. Summing up the above, we believe that even the revised 2024 draft Charter requires fundamental reworking.
Chronicle of Russia’s War Crimes Against Ukraine’s Environment: Odesa Oblast, July 2024
Throughout July, Russian terrorists continued their missile and Shahed terror against residents of Odesa Region.
We collect facts about crimes committed by the Russian Federation against the natural environment of Odesa and Odesa Region during the war: environmental pollution caused by explosions and damage to infrastructure, contamination of air, water and soil with toxic substances, destruction of ecosystems in protected areas and internationally important conservation areas, and more. The information will be updated daily, so please send facts known to you to: zeleniy.list1@gmal.com
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“Deep-Water Outfall”: Environmental Consequences of Corrupt Actions by Authorities in Odesa Oblast
In July this year, Odesa residents began complaining en masse about a terrible stench. The smell becomes particularly strong at night, when the nocturnal sea breeze begins to blow from land toward the sea. At the same time, mass fish kills were observed throughout July in the Khadzhibey Estuary. Inspectors of the Odesa Fish Protection Patrol repeatedly recorded this unfortunate phenomenon. Following their report, the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District checked the condition of the water in the estuary and found that the concentration of ammonium nitrogen exceeded the maximum permissible level by 66 times.
How are these phenomena connected — the stench in the air, polluted water, and fish kills in the Khadzhibey Estuary near Odesa? What do the deep-water outfall and the state of the marine environment in Odesa Bay have to do with it?
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“The Fate of My Country Is Being Decided.” A Lane in Odesa’s Historic Center Named After Fallen Defender Dmytro Lesych
The Russian-Ukrainian war is killing the flower of the Ukrainian nation. In particular, young people who showed great promise but whom the war never gave a chance to fully realize themselves in peaceful life. People such as 24-year-old Odesa lawyer Dmytro Lesych.
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A Street in Central Odesa Is Named After Artist and Warrior Borys Aizenberg, Who Gave the City Trees
A year ago, in July 2023, Odesa bid farewell to one of the city’s most worthy residents, artist, architect and Warrior Borys Aizenberg. On July 26, 2024, by Order No. 694/A-2024 of Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper, “On Renaming Toponymic Objects in Settlements of Odesa Region,” Kataiev Lane in Odesa was renamed in honor of Borys Aizenberg. Members of the Green Leaf NGO had the honor of knowing Borys as a generous patron who helped us implement Odesa greening programs by donating trees from his Sadproekt nursery.
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Chronicle of Russia’s War Crimes Against Ukraine’s Environment: Odesa Oblast, June 2024
In June 2024, Russian war criminals attacked Odesa and Odesa Region not only with drones but also with missiles, including ballistic weapons. Port, near-port and recreational infrastructure were targeted. Residential buildings were also damaged.
We collect facts about crimes committed by the Russian Federation against the natural environment of Odesa and Odesa Region during the war: environmental pollution caused by explosions and damage to infrastructure, contamination of air, water and soil with toxic substances, destruction of ecosystems in protected areas and internationally important conservation areas, and more. The information will be updated daily, so please send facts known to you to: zeleniy.list1@gmal.com
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SUNDANSE Project Launches in Galați with Participation of the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine
On July 1–2, 2024, the kick-off meeting of the SUNDANSE project consortium (“Innovative sediment management framework for a SUstainNable DANube black SEa system”) took place in Galați, Romania. The aim of this ambitious project is to create an innovative sediment-management system for the Danube River basin. The project’s 20 partners live and work in 10 European countries. They include universities, research institutions, innovation centers, national waterway organizations, private companies and civil-society organizations from Romania, Ukraine, France, Israel, Austria, Belgium and other European countries.
The Ukrainian partners — staff of the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU) and the Danube Hydrometeorological Observatory — will carry out an important part of the project’s work in the Ukrainian section of the Danube. NECU plays a crucial role in implementing the SUNDANSE project, contributing expertise and resources and engaging in various aspects related to environmental management and policy development.
The SUNDANSE participating teams met
on board the REXDAN research vessel. The vessel belongs to the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați and was designed, built and equipped in Romania with funding from another European project. It is the largest research vessel operating on inland waters in the European Union. REXDAN includes nine modern laboratories where scientists and researchers from the University of Galați, specialized Romanian institutes and other countries carry out their work.
REXDAN cost approximately EUR 7.5 million, while its laboratory equipment cost EUR 2 million. The laboratories support a wide range of research related to sustainable development: measurements of environmental factors, biodiversity, water quality, sediment quality, bird activity and ichthyofauna. In addition, specialized equipment can be used to scan the Danube riverbed in order to provide recommendations for further work along the river.
REXDAN research vessel. Photo: https://rexdan.ugal.ro/
NECU representative, Doctor of Biological Sciences Ivan Rusev, on board REXDAN. Photo by Vira Zaporozhets
Representatives of the project teams visited one of REXDAN’s newest research centers, which was also built and equipped by the university with funding from a previous European project.
NECU deputy chair and Doctor of Biological Sciences Oleh Bondarenko presented the Ukrainian role in the project.
During the presentation of the Ukrainian part of the project. Photo by Vira Zaporozhets
SUNDANSE project tasks
The Ukrainian project participants will have to develop a Sediment Management Guide for the Danube River Basin, including intervention solutions. The guide will define the legislative, strategic and policy framework for the main stakeholders in the Danube basin, procedures and technologies, and more. Following the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, which destroyed the dam, sediment was released from the reservoir and redistributed across the Black Sea. Creating the Guide will make it possible to study the impact of pollutants on human activity and biodiversity in the Black Sea ecosystem. Research will also focus on the transfer of microplastics through the food chain and assessment of the terrorist attack on the dam through the food chain. Studies of the impact of microplastics on food chains in the Danube basin biota will be conducted in Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park with specialists from the park’s scientific department. The head of this department, Doctor of Biological Sciences Ivan Rusev, also represented NECU’s project team in Galați.
The Ukrainian SUNDANSE project team. Photo: NECU
Also within the SUNDANSE project, the Ukrainian participants will expand the existing measurement and monitoring infrastructure to improve monitoring of sediment quantity and quality and provide more accurate data for sediment-management systems. Vladyslav Balinskyi is the project manager for the Ukrainian team.
The SUNDANSE project “Innovative sediment management framework for a SUstainNable DANube black SEa system” is funded by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON EUROPE and is implemented under Grant Agreement 101156533 — SUNDANSE — HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01 dated May 14, 2024.
Defend Iryna Vykhrystiuk, Head of Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park!
For seven years, ecologist Iryna Vykhrystiuk, acting director of Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park, has been waging a real battle to preserve one of the jewels of the north-western Black Sea coast — the Tuzly estuaries in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi District of Odesa Region. Throughout all seven years, attempts have been made to remove Vykhrystiuk from office because she prevents the theft of valuable state resources that belong to all the people of Ukraine.
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“Stop Stealing, Stop Lying!” Environmentalists Demand That Odesa Regional Administration Withdraw Its Environmental Protection Program
At the end of November 2023, the Odesa Regional Military Administration adopted the Regional Comprehensive Environmental Protection Program for Odesa Region for 2024–2028. Almost UAH 4 billion is planned to be spent on environmental protection in Odesa Region in total, with UAH 1.7 billion to be spent during this year alone. Environmental protection specialists carried out a detailed analysis of the document and concluded that, in its current form, the program would not only fail to provide benefits but could also harm the environment. Why?
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