Ukraine

Key Results

In 2023, UNDP enabled the Free Legal Aid System (FLAS) offices to provide direct quality service and advice to over 100,000 people. Nearly 80 percent of the beneficiaries, including IDPs, reported they were highly satisfied with the free legal aid services.

UNDP developed and delivered training for 119 prosecutors and police officers (including 53 women) on ensuring access to justice and dealing with crimes in line with international standards. Guidance was prepared for the Office of the Prosecutor-General on conflict-related sexual violence to making the national criminal proceedings more survivor-centered.

UNDP’s assessment of institutional capacities equipped national partners with data and had a catalytic effect on developing a nation-wide victim and witness support system by the Government of Ukraine, thus bringing a transformative change in strengthening national criminal accountability mechanisms.

UNDP supported the establishment of 81 dialogue platforms in 11 oblasts of Ukraine, all operating to support inclusive and participatory recovery. Over 1,500 representatives of local authorities, police, the SES and civil society (67 percent women) are engaged in these platforms which developed over 200 community-based initiatives, including 133 micro-projects that received UNDP funding. The initiatives enhance community security and social cohesion, contribute to achieving gender equality, address cases of sexual and gender-based violence, improve the reintegration of IDPs and veterans, and support youth engagement and volunteer initiatives at the local level, benefitting over 58,000 people (58 percent women).

UNDP conducted first-hand data research that provided national partners, with evidence-based insights on business and human rights challenges exacerbated by the war. UNDP provided recommendations to improve the legislative and regulatory framework that were approved by the Government of Ukraine.

Two online courses on business and human rights, an online self-assessment tool and a dedicated business and human rights page were launched through the governmental Diia platform facilitated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Over 300 people completed the basic online course. Over 169 companies completed the self-assessment. In addition, the first cohort of companies was trained within B+HR Academy in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continued to cause widespread destruction throughout 2023. Since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) documented over 30,000 civilian casualties, including over 10,000 killed and nearly 20,000 injured 1 . According to the Human Impact Assessment, the war could potentially push more than 7.1 million Ukrainians below the poverty line and an additional 3.7 million close to it.

The war has also resulted in total economic damages exceeding US$499 billion, exacerbating existing human rights risks both in the public and private sectors. In addition, the context of Ukraine’s recovery efforts highlights the need for adherence to human rights and non-discrimination as core principles crucial for Ukraine's "build back better" strategy and progress toward European Union (EU) membership.

Despite the security challenges, UNDP continues to assist the Government, civil society, and people of Ukraine. In addition to the recovery initiatives, the support entails advancing democratic policies, advocating for human rights and gender equality, strengthening institutions, transforming business practices, and empowering civil society.

Access to Justice in Ukraine

To ensure that war-affected individuals and groups receive effective support, UNDP developed knowledge products and designed training for government bodies, legal aid, and service providers working with families of prisoners of war and missing persons, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and people traumatized by the hostilities. At the request of the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine, UNDP developed and delivered training for 119 prosecutors and police officers (including 53 women) on survivor-centered and gender-sensitive approaches, ensuring access to justice to all, including for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, in line with international standards.

Additionally, UNDP contributed to the work of a multistakeholder expert group led by the Office of the Prosecutor-General on amending the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. Guidance was prepared for the Office on conflict-related sexual violence to make the national criminal proceedings more survivor-centered.

Further, UNDP’s assessment of institutional capacities had a catalytic effect on developing a nation-wide victim and witness support system by the Government of Ukraine, thus bringing a transformative change in strengthening national criminal accountability mechanisms.

RULE OF LAW AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL

According to a UNDP study of the availability of legal aid in the context of martial law, there has been a significant increase in demand for the services provided by the free legal aid system, specifically among internally displaced persons (IDPs). In 2023, UNDP enabled the Free Legal Aid System (FLAS) offices to provide direct quality service and advice to over 100,000 people. Nearly 80 percent of the beneficiaries, including IDPs, reported they were highly satisfied with the free legal aid services.

At the same time, UNDP identified the need to strengthen the capacity of legal aid agents to respond to the growing demand. To achieve this, UNDP developed six online learning courses available on the FLAS platform. 2

COMMUNITY SECURITY

To promote community security and social cohesion, UNDP supported the establishment of 81 dialogue platforms in 11 oblasts of Ukraine. These platforms include Community Security and Social Cohesion Working Groups, Community Security and Recovery Working Groups, as well as Internally Displaced Persons Councils, all operating to support inclusive and participatory recovery. Over 1,500 representatives of local authorities, police, the State Emergency Service (SES), and civil society (67 percent women) are engaged in these dialogue platforms which developed over 200 community-based initiatives, including 133 micro-projects that received UNDP funding. The initiatives enhance community security and social cohesion, contribute to achieving gender equality, address cases of sexual and gender-based violence, improve the reintegration of IDPs and veterans, and support youth engagement and volunteer initiatives at the local level, benefitting over 58,000 people (58 percent women).

Through UNDP training programme, 107 community members and police officers (including 60 women) from five oblasts were equipped with practical knowledge on how to apply a community policing approach, during wartime and the recovery phase. As a result, seven mini initiatives were implemented to transform policing into a community service across these regions, benefitting around 10,000 people (57 percent women).

An additional 333 community members, as well as representatives of police, courts and prosecutors (including 312 women) increased their understanding on the role of women activists in prevention and response to gender-based violence, conflict-related sexual violence, violence against women and girls, as well as the provision of survivor-centred services. In addition, UNDP supported an information campaign on legal aid and other services available for the survivors which reached nearly 60,000 women in target communities.

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

From the first days of the invasion and in partnership with the Government of Japan under the project “Human Rights Due Diligence in Global Supply Chains: Leveraging the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for a Just Recovery,” UNDP was gathering first-hand data, conducted situational analyses, developed and implemented awareness-raising campaigns and capacity building on business and human rights (B+HR) with a focus on heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD).

To support businesses in Ukraine in advancing human rights, and address the requirements for HRDD during the armed conflict and the recovery phases, UNDP piloted a B+HR Academy. In partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development and the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, UNDP has developed two educational online courses on Business and Human Rights and Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence, alongside a tailored self-assessment tool for companies on human rights compliance.

UNDP is enhancing Ukraine’s policy framework to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), ensuring a human-rights-based approach in all Government’s economic recovery efforts. After analysing the implementation of the Business and Human Rights Chapter of the National Human Rights Strategy UNDP suggested proposals for the draft Strategy, which has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. UNDP co-organized a high-level conference with Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy focused on applying the UNGPs and other responsible business standards in sectors relevant to Ukrainian recovery.

Lessons learned and good practices

In promoting access to justice in Ukraine, the flexibility of the project design and coordination of efforts helped to attract additional funding and launch new initiatives to address more effectively the needs of the national partners and challenges faced by the survivors and witnesses of conflict-related sexual violence.

Addressing conflict-related sexual violence is a new challenge for the country. Thus, the toolkit developed in the framework of the project will have a significant impact on the capacity development of prosecutors and investigators.

The project had to be implemented in one year, which is a limited timeframe for the development, piloting and anchoring of a new training programme in a rapidly changing environment. This required involvement of international experts who combined international standards and practical samples of their application, and included national practice and lessons learned by the Office of the Prosecutor-General to the curriculum.

Working closely with key counterparts, UNDP has shown the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement. The partnerships have facilitated the integration of UNGPs into national recovery plans and focused attention on the human rights agenda within business practices and economic recovery efforts.

Under Business and Human Rights interventions, UNDP offered innovative online solutions for capacity building and training on Human Rights Due Diligence, tailored to conflict settings. The online course “Human Rights Due Diligence in Wartime” addresses the unique risks and operational challenges in conflict zones. The training materials can be adapted and applied in similar contexts globally. Given the limited time for the implementation, the project managed to achieve significant results.