Yuliia Lykhach, Director of the High School of Public Governance, took part in the Steering Committee meeting of the Council of Europe Project “HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine, including during wartime”, Phase II.

The meeting brought together representatives of international and national partner institutions, who reviewed the implementation of the second phase of the HELP Project for Ukraine, discussed the outcomes of the partnership, priorities for 2026 and prospects for the Programme’s further development.

In particular, Yuliia Lykhach presented the results of the High School’s cooperation with the HELP Programme and emphasised the importance of systematically integrating European human rights standards into the professional training of public servants.

“For us, cooperation with the HELP Project is not merely about carrying out individual educational activities. It is about the systematic integration of European human rights standards into the professional training of public servants and the strengthening of institutional capacity in public administration in the context of the war and Ukraine’s future recovery,” noted Yuliia Lykhach.

According to her, one of the key areas of cooperation is the delivery of HELP tutored courses. Between 2023 and 2026, 344 participants successfully completed these courses. In addition, six professional development programmes were developed in partnership with the Project’s experts, under which 455 public servants have already completed training.

Yuliia Lykhach paid particular attention to the development of the national network of HELP tutors and the implementation of joint educational and expert initiatives. These include the Summer School of Coaching Excellence, the Richelieu Forum of Public Service, international conferences on the use of artificial intelligence in public administration, and the “Public Service Without Barriers” online marathon.

At the same time, the Director of the High School noted significant potential for expanding cooperation within the framework of the new Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, “Democratic Security for Ukraine” (2027–2030).

“The High School is keen to continue rolling out HELP courses in the areas most relevant to public administration, as these are precisely what help to build a professional community that operates in accordance with European human rights standards,” emphasised Yuliia Lykhach.

During the meeting, participants also discussed the implementation of HELP training programmes in Ukraine, the development of professional training for legal professionals, and opportunities for further integrating HELP courses into the professional development systems for public servants, court staff, prosecutors, lawyers and employees of other state institutions.

Particular attention was paid to synchronising the learning platforms of partner organisations with the HELP platform. This will help broaden access to the Council of Europe’s educational resources and enhance the effectiveness of professional training.

The Steering Committee meeting reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between the Council of Europe and Ukrainian institutions in developing a modern professional training system, incorporating European standards into the training of public servants and strengthening the capacity of Ukraine’s public administration system.