The "Union" Foundation held a public discussion, "Control over the restoration of the Kherson region: how the community can influence transparency"

 

On October 24, 2025, in Kherson, our Foundation held a public discussion titled "Control Over the Restoration of the Kherson region: How the Community Can Influence Transparency."

On the day of the discussion, Kherson was subjected to massive shelling. Despite the challenging circumstances, the event still took place and was a success.

The discussion brought together representatives from public organizations, volunteers, condominium association leaders, and active city residents.

The speaker Serhii Nikitenko, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online media "MOST", shared his own experience of journalistic investigations in the field of public finances and public procurement, and also spoke about the right to access public information, the procedure for submitting information requests, and the use of these tools to identify possible abuses.

Participants discussed why public control is crucial in the process of restoring the deoccupied part of the Kherson region, how residents can independently verify public procurement in the Prozorro system, utilize information access tools, and effectively cooperate with the media.

The discussion combined the analytical part with the exchange of practical advice, as participants considered specific procurement cases with identified risks, became acquainted with examples of successful appeals to authorities, and discussed how to document violations in the field of restoration.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that control over the use of budget funds is the joint responsibility of the community, not just auditors or law enforcement officers. Active residents, possessing knowledge and tools, can independently carry out effective public oversight, increase the transparency of decisions made, and strengthen trust within their community. For residents of de-occupied and frontline territories, it is crucial to ensure that resources are utilized efficiently and officials remain accountable.

We are glad to welcome new participants to our “Active Citizens Club”, which unites active residents interested in increasing transparency, accountability of the authorities, and strengthening public control in the Kherson region.

The “Union” Foundation will continue to hold such meetings to help residents of the Kherson region use public control tools and make the recovery process as transparent as possible.

Follow our updates and join future events - together we can make the recovery of the Kherson region transparent, accountable, and effective.

If you are interested in understanding public procurement monitoring independently, we recommend using our guide.

The event was held with the support of the Czech non-governmental organization NESEHNUTÍ within the framework of the Transformational Cooperation Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.