A working meeting was held with representatives of The Hague Academy for Local Governance and the organisation UpRights, focusing on the preparation of a study on the activities, needs and challenges faced by civil servants in the field of transitional justice.

During the meeting, the international partners presented the research concept, the first stage of which will involve conducting a survey of civil servants whose work relates to transitional justice issues. The study aims to identify current areas of focus, pinpoint practical challenges, successful practices and needs for further professional development, as well as to contribute to the formation of a more coordinated approach to the development of this field.

Participants paid particular attention to the mechanisms for distributing the survey and defining its target audience. In particular, discussions centred on engaging graduates of the High School’s educational programmes on transitional justice, utilising the High School’s communication resources, and leveraging other professional networks bringing together civil servants working to address the consequences of the war and trainers specialising in transitional justice.

During the discussion, Roman Mishchenko, Deputy Director of the High School of Public Governance, emphasised the importance of a comprehensive assessment of the needs of civil servants working in the field of transitional justice. He noted that the High School is ready to support the implementation of the initiative, in particular by ensuring the survey is distributed among graduates of relevant educational programmes, utilising its own communication resources, and involving participants in future training events in this process.

Following the meeting, the parties outlined the next stages of the initiative, which include conducting the survey, analysing the results, organising thematic consultations and professional discussions, and preparing an analytical report. It is expected that the findings of the study will form the basis for planning future training events, developing recommendations to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation, and developing a professional network of experts in the field of transitional justice.