LOCALISING SOCIAL RIGHTS: A NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR LOCAL DEMOCRACY IN TIMES OF DISPLACEMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT

This article examines the critical role of local self-government in securing social rights amidst displacement and post-conflict reconstruction, with a particular focus on Ukraine's experience within a broader European context.It analyzes the gap between national legislation, often designed for central governments, and the urgent imperative for local authorities to act on the ground, especially when millions are displaced by war or crisis.The research moves beyond traditional understandings of local democracy, integrating legal concepts of subsidiarity and decentralization to argue for an enhanced role for local councils in human rights protection.Drawing on Ukraine's decentralization reforms since 2014 and its response to the 2022 full-scale invasion, the article demonstrates how local authorities can innovatively respond to challenges, even in the absence of clear national guidance or full financial autonomy.It introduces a novel question about "localizing" social rights, exploring how mayors and local councils can become primary actors in human rights protection, including for displaced persons.This article demonstrates that local self-government plays a crucial role in advancing social rights amid displacement and post-conflict reconstruction, particularly within the evolving multilevel governance framework.Ukraine's decentralization reforms provide a compelling case of how domestic law can both reflect and challenge international legal standards, revealing persistent gaps and tensions in implementation.Strengthening local autonomy, therefore, is not only a matter of legal compliance but a necessary condition for fostering social inclusion and democratic resilience in fragile settings.The article constructs a doctrinal framework for future research, emphasizing the importance of human capital, social cohesion, and the dynamic interplay between central and local authorities in building a resilient, rights-based governance model, which is critical for Ukraine's European integration and the broader European space.