13th Cohort LEAD CIS Regional Session ENERGY SECURITY and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT took place from 4 to 10 July 2008 and was held in Kiev , Chernobyl and the Prypiat river region .

The session's first day was dedicated to the Problems of Ukraine's Energy and Ecology Security and 4 experts gave the lectures.

1. Mr. Grytsenko - representative of UN Department of Public relations gave a talk on the Aims of UN Development of the Millennium.

2. Mr. Volkov - the Senior Programme Manager of UNDP gave a talk on Increase of the Energy Security: Ukraine and International Organizations. There was an interesting discussion after the lecture with many questions asked by the associates.

3. Mr. Zamostyan - Director of UNDP Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme gave a talk on Overcoming of the Consequences of Chernobyl disaster.

4. Mr. Afanasiev – deputy Director of the Ukrainian Hydrobiology Institute gave a talk on the Realization of Principals of the EU Water Framework Agreement by the example of Pryapiat river basin Water Resources Management.

In the end of the day participants got acquainted with Kiev and took part in the evening- party with the Ukrainian Lead Fellows from previous cohorts.

The session's second day was dedicated to the Public Organizations Role in the Implementation of Principals of the Sustainable Development and 3 experts gave the lectures.

1. Mr. Marushevskiy – Doctor of Philosophy, research officer of Ukrainian Institute of Philosophy gave a talk on Sustainable Development Ethics.

2. Mrs. Golubovskaya-Anisimova – Head of the Public Organization “Mother 87”, Lead Fellow cohort 9-10 gave the lecture on the Public Organizations Role in the Implementation of Principals of the Sustainable Development.

3. Mr. Poyarkov – Director of the European Safety Center gave a talk on Man-maid Disasters of 20 th Century.

In the end of the day participants continued their acquaintance with Kiev and made a boat trip along the river Dnepr.

The session's third day, 6 th of July, traditionally celebrated Ivana Kupala Day, so after visit to the new open interactive Ecological Water Museum the group of associates went to the Ecological Village to learn and take part in this midsummer Ukrainian holyday. Ecological Village is an open air museum on 75 hectares where examples of customary for various regions of Ukraine habitations, crafts and amateur and folk arts are situated. Lead CIS team participated in holyday's celebration programme which consisted of folk and children chorus performances, ritualistic burning of the God and the Goddess scarecrow, over the fire jumping and so on.

In the end of the day associates traveled to recreation camp Ekopolis located in 9 km from the First Chernobyl affected Zone.

 Fourth day of the session was completely dedicated to the First Chernobyl Alienation Zone.

Lead associates visited town of Chernobyl , ghost town Prypiat, Chernobyl nuclear power plant itself including museum of the fourth power unit Disaster situated in 300 meters from the sheltered building and deserted village inside the Zone. During the excursion group was accompanied by Mr.Arhipov – expert on radiological safety of the UNDP Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme who spoke about the history of creation and functioning of the Alienation Zone and gave explanations and comments.

In the end of the day associates traveled to the Third Zone of Radioactive Pollution in Rovninskyi region urban-type community Rokytnoe.

Fifth day of the session was dedicated to the Sustainable Development of the Local Communities.

Round table on the questions of Partnership of authorities, business and local communities came about as long as meeting with municipal administration of urban-type community Rokytnoe.

During familiarization trip over the region Lead CIS associates visited modern bottle manufacturing factory, historical reservation area Urochische Usefovicha with the eldest in the region governmentally protected Oak tree and convent, local ambulance station, amber mining public enterprise and places destroyed by illegal smuggling amber mining, granite quarry. Explanations and comments during the trip were given by the chief of the regional education committee.

Sixth day of the session was dedicated to the Problems of Conservation of Natural Resources System of Ukraine.

In the morning associates traveled to Lubeshov in Polissya Western Ukraine.

Lead CIS group met with administration of Stohid Natural Reserve and discussed wide range of ecological problems concerning biodiversity conversation in Polissya which represents an entire ecological system with unique biological features. Then the group moved deep inside the protected area by boats along the “Stohid rush jungles”, visited Bird Island and deserted village.

On the seventh day after visit into the trout farming in Manevichy and discussion of economical perspectives of the development of Manevichy region with local authorities Lead CIS Fellows traveled back to Kiev .