PUBLIC POLICY ON COLLABORATIONISM IN DE-OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Abstract

Introduction. The liberation of Ukrainian territories from russian invaders poses unprecedented challenges to the state in terms of restoring public authority and ensuring national security. One of the most acute problems is the formation of an effective and fair public policy regarding individuals who collaborated with the occupying regimes. Collaborationism destroys social cohesion, undermines trust in state institutions, and poses a direct threat to state sovereignty. Despite the adoption of a number of legislative acts, the practical implementation of public policy in this area faces significant managerial obstacles and gaps in regulatory and legal frameworks, which requires deep scientific reflection and the development of effective public administration mechanisms.

Purpose. The purpose of the study is a analysis of the process of formation and implementation of public policy regarding collaborationism in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine, identification of key managerial challenges and regulatory gaps, as well as the development of scientifically sound recommendations for improving public administration mechanisms in the field of accountability for collaborative activities and restoring social justice.

Materials and methods. The research is based on a systematic approach to the analysis of public administration. The materials used include: 1) the current regulatory and legal acts of Ukraine governing the issues of liability for collaborative activities: 2) international standards of transitional justice: 3) scientific works of domestic and foreign scholars and analytical reports of international human rights organisations. In the process of research, methods of structural and functional analysis, comparative law, documentary analysis, and synthesis were used to generalise empirical data and formulate theoretical conclusions.

Results. The scientific article argues that the existing regulatory and legal framework aimed at countering collaborationism contains certain vagueness and allows for an overly broad interpretation of the signs of an offense, which complicates the work of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system in the de-occupied territories. The main managerial challenges are highlighted: a personnel deficit in the system of local public authorities, the lack of clear legislative criteria distinguishing forced cooperation for survival and intentional collaborationism, as well as insufficient coordination between state authorities, local self-government, and civil society institutions. The necessity of introducing basic elements of transitional justice as an integral part of public policy in the liberated territories is substantiated. A set of measures is proposed for the institutional strengthening of authorities carrying out filtration, security, and stabilization measures.

Discussion. Further scientific research should be directed to the study of international experience in overcoming the consequences of occupation and adapting the best global practices of societal deradicalization. Special attention should be paid to the development of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of targeted state programs for the reintegration of de-occupied territories and mechanisms for the social adaptation of persons who are not subject to criminal liability but require preventive administrative influence.