Human Rights for Ukraine

Human Rights for Ukraine

Project summary

The project is being implemented to foster inclusive and sustainable human development in Ukraine and to further promote ongoing democratization processes in the country, focusing on human rights and access to justice for all. Through the project, UNDP is continuing to prioritize its work with key national partners and stakeholders – such as the National Human Rights Institution, national and local authorities, civil society, and human rights defenders – uniting their efforts to promote human rights across Ukraine and improve access to justice, especially for vulnerable groups. Launched in January 2019, the project will run until the end of 2023.

Project objectives

to reach out to men and women across Ukraine, including remote communities, to empower them to exercise their rights, to support the regional network of the Ombudsperson’s Office and the network of civic monitors across Ukraine, strengthening the capacities of the institution and making it more accessible;
to enhance the monitoring capacities of the Ombudsperson’s Office and civic human rights defenders, ensuring that the gender, age, and vulnerability dimensions are integrated in the human rights monitoring process;
to promote human rights values among journalists and to support them in incorporating a human rights based approach into their professional practices, mainstreaming values of diversity and tolerance;
to enhance the capacities and role of the national human rights institution and human rights CSOs to use international instruments to advocate for change in the human rights agenda of Ukraine;
to build the capacities of duty-bearers, the Ombudsperson’s Office and CSOs to provide effective inputs into the integration of a human-rights-based approach into the decentralization process, with a focus on social and economic rights;
to address the needs of the conflict-affected population to exercise their rights, including international advocacy and work with conflict-affected (including internally displaced) men and women, and other vulnerable groups.

Expected results

By 2023, men and women, girls and boys enjoy improved protection and promotion of their rights, especially economic and social rights in the context of decentralization, in all regions of Ukraine, including vulnerable rural and conflict-affected areas.

Digital Solutions for Improved Access to Justice in Ukraine

April 2020 saw the launch of a new initiative called Digital Solutions for Improved Access to Justice in Ukraine. The initiative aims to increase the capacity of Ukraine's justice and law-enforcement institutions to efficiently provide quality legal services to citizens in the most common areas in which they are required. The initiative will run until 31 March 2021, and will strengthen capacities of key regional and local authorities to engage communities in the planning, coordination, delivery and monitoring of public services provision. It will contribute to ensuring that national institutions, systems, laws and policies advance the equal realization of human rights, especially among vulnerable groups.

The initiative will focus on helping the most vulnerable groups in the Ukrainian population, including conflict-affected women and men, people with disabilities, and rural communities.

Under the initiative:

Existing services provided by the Ministry of Justice, the National Police and judiciary to citizens in the most common life situations will be analysed;
A user-friendly e-tool for the provision of legal services will be co-designed with service users;
Citizens’ awareness on the new free legal aid e-tool will be raised at the national and local levels.