The United States, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are awaiting the creation of a committee in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, to oversee intelligence agencies.
This is said in a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv posted on Facebook on October 23.
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"The recent adoption of the Law on Intelligence establishes a legal framework for effective parliamentary oversight over Ukrainian intelligence and security services. This is an important step toward ensuring the services work with greater accountability and transparency – a cornerstone of civilian and democratic governance of this sector and in line with European and Euro-Atlantic norms and principles," the statement said.
"The International Advisory Group – comprised of the United States Embassy, EU Advisory Mission, EU Delegation, and NATO Representation to Ukraine – welcomes this step and looks forward to the establishment of the committee," it said.
The Embassy adds: "We commend Ukraine on the enactment of the Law on Intelligence, which is an important step on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration."
According to it, effective parliamentary oversight over intelligence agencies is vital to ensuring their accountability and promoting democratic governance.
Law on Intelligence: In brief
- The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted a draft law on intelligence on September 17. It was signed into law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 21.
- The document determines the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Defense Ministry's intelligence agency, as well as an intelligence department of the central executive agency that implements state policy in the field of protecting the national border are intelligence agencies in Ukraine.
- At the same time, it stipulates that counterintelligence units of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine may also be engaged in intelligence activities to obtain information in the interests of counterintelligence. The list of such units is determined by the president of Ukraine.
- The president also defines the organizational structure of an intelligence agency, while the total number of personnel of the Foreign Intelligence Service shall be determined by law. The relevant service carries out intelligence activities in the foreign policy, economic, military-technical, scientific-technical, information, environmental, and cybersecurity fields.
- According to the law, the intelligence agencies are headed by officials who are appointed and dismissed by the president of Ukraine.
- The Law on Intelligence is designed to contribute to the reform of Ukraine's security and defense sector and will be an important step forward in relations with NATO.
