On 16 August 2024, the High School, together with the Council of Europe’s HELP (Human Rights Education for Lawyers) for Ukraine, including in Time of War, launched a new training course on Human Rights in the Armed Forces.

The training course was attended by 50 representatives of military regional administrations, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

The course participants were greeted by Yuliia Lykhach, Head of the High School, Taras Bezpalyi, Deputy Head of the Central Department for the Protection of the Rights of Servicemen of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and Halyna Smirnova, Senior Specialist of the Council of Europe Project ‘HELP (Human Rights Education for Lawyers) for Ukraine, including in Time of War’.

‘In the context of current challenges, including the war, the issue of human rights is of particular relevance to the High School. Our institution implements many advanced training programmes on various aspects of human rights to raise awareness of international standards, which is an important step towards Ukraine’s European integration,’ said the head of the institution. ’The new course we offer is designed not only to familiarise you with the theoretical foundations of Ukrainian and international law, the experience of European countries, but also to teach you practical tools for its application. We are confident that this knowledge will be useful to you both in your professional activities and in your personal growth.’

The course is intended primarily for legal practitioners, representatives of the Armed Forces and police, military police, military investigators, civil servants and other professionals interested in human rights in the Armed Forces.

The course is tutored by experienced trainers Valentyna Malinovska, a judge of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv, and Viktoriia Polishchuk, an attorney, mediator, Chair of the UNBA Labour Law Committee, Head of the Centre for Labour Law and Social Security of the Ukrainian National Bar Association, who have developed an adapted course specifically for Ukraine during the armed conflict.

The course consists of 8 substantive modules, including the regulatory framework, dignity of rights and freedoms, economic and social rights, justice and remedies, inspections and effective investigations, equality and non-discrimination.

Students will have the opportunity to consider the basic concepts of human dignity in the Armed Forces, equality and non-discrimination, the legal framework relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms, understanding of economic and social rights of people in the Armed Forces. Also, students will deepen their knowledge of the legislation governing international human rights practice in the Armed Forces, study the relevant case law of the ECtHR and EU law. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of practical situations and ways to resolve them in Ukrainian court practice.

On the first day of the course, a presentation of the HELP platform and the Council of Europe’s HELP (Human Rights Education for Lawyers) for Ukraine, including in Time of War, was held. Human rights activist Liubov Galan and lawyer Massi Nayem spoke about the rights of servicemen in Ukraine and the experience of the human rights NGO Principle. Together with Taras Bezpalyi, Deputy Head of the Central Department for the Protection of Servicemen’s Rights of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the participants discussed how human rights are currently observed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The course ‘Human Rights in the Armed Forces’ will last until the end of October this year, and participants who successfully complete it will receive certificates from the Council of Europe HELP programme.