On 15 November 2023, the High School opened a training course on internal displacement.

The training course is being implemented with the support of the National Agency and the Council of Europe Project “HELP (Human Rights Education for Lawyers) for Ukraine, including in Time of War”.

The training course was attended by 42 representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, ministries, central executive authorities and regional military administrations who work directly with internally displaced persons.

The participants were greeted by Nataliia Alyushyna, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, Iryna Vereshchuk, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, and Eva Pastrana, Head of the Justice and Human Rights Training Unit of the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Cooperation Standards of the Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe.

“I am sincerely grateful to the Council of Europe HELP Project for its cooperation in launching this course. I am confident that this course will be in great demand, as the list of issues it covers is extremely relevant. Internally displaced persons belong to vulnerable groups and need support. Our state is taking all possible measures to protect and respect their rights and freedoms, social protection, etc. I am convinced that studying under this programme will be a valuable practical experience for you rights and freedoms, social protection, etc. I am convinced that studying under this programme will be a valuable practical experien,” said Nataliia Aliushyna, Head of the National Agency, in her welcoming speech.

The list of issues covered in the course is relevant, as more than 8 million Ukrainians have been displaced within the country since the full-scale invasion.
During the training, students will have the opportunity to learn about international standards for the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons and the current national legal framework in this area. They will also learn more about European human rights standards and the possibilities of their implementation in Ukraine under martial law and about national judicial practice on the rights of internally displaced persons.

It should be noted that the High School and the HELP (Human Rights Education for Lawyers) for Ukraine, including in Time of War Project are actively cooperating to create joint training, information and communication initiatives for the professional development of public servants, including the use of online tools and human rights training methodology developed on the basis of the Council of Europe’s internal expertise.