The Verkhovna Rada proposes to allow MPs to come to meetings with children under two years old

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has registered draft law No. 15371, which provides for new guarantees of labor rights of people’s deputies and the creation of conditions for combining parliamentary activity with parenthood.

The document proposes to allow parliamentarians to be with children under the age of two during open meetings of parliamentary committees and temporary investigative commissions.

In addition, the draft law provides for the creation of a specially equipped space for children and parents in the premises of the Verkhovna Rada, which should provide comfortable conditions for caring for young children while performing parliamentary duties.

Separately, the initiative provides for the possibility of participation of people’s deputies with children under the age of two in open plenary sessions of the parliament. However, this norm can be applied only after the termination or abolition of martial law in Ukraine.

The authors of the draft law note that the current legislation currently does not contain special provisions that would ensure a balance between the performance of parliamentary powers and parental duties.

The explanatory note to the document emphasizes that such changes are consistent with modern international approaches to the formation of an inclusive parliamentary environment.

In particular, the Verkhovna Rada refers to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which in Resolution 2615 (2025) recommends that states create appropriate conditions for deputies to work with young children.

The recommendations of UNICEF and the World Health Organization, which, within the framework of the “First 1000 Days” concept, identify children under two years of age as a priority group for ensuring appropriate development conditions, were also taken into account.

The initiators of the document are convinced that the adoption of the law will contribute to the creation of a more modern, family-oriented and inclusive parliamentary environment in Ukraine.