On 29 May 2024, the Council of Europe held a launching event to inaugurate a new Project titled “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine.” This initiative, part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026, aims to assist Ukrainian authorities in promoting and protecting the human rights, including social rights of military personnel, veterans, and their families.
The Project will operate in several strategic directions, including offering policy advice, capacity building, training, expert and methodological support, and bolstering human rights institutions. It also focuses on the capacity building of national institutions related to veterans' affairs.
The inaugural Steering Committee Meeting gathered key partners such as the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the Commissioner for Gender Policy, the Ombudsperson’s Office, and the Security Service of Ukraine.
Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, opened the meeting by highlighting the Project's importance as part of the larger Action Plan for Ukraine 2023-2026. He underscored its role in supporting the rights of veterans, armed forces personnel, and their families within the broader objectives of aiding Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts.
Tigran Karapetyan, Head of Division, Transversal Challenges and Multilateral Projects Task Force, Council of Europe, emphasized that the Project “will contribute to the armed forces’ better understanding of human rights requirements in times of war, and will enhance protection of military personnel, war veterans, and their families.”
Project partners welcomed the initiative, noting its relevance amid the current conflict and future post-war reconstruction. Nataliia Kalmykova, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, discussed the Ministry's recent efforts, including establishing the Department for the Protection of Servicemen's Rights, which significantly advances the protection of active service members, including women fighters.
Ruslan Pryhodko, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, mentioned that the Ministry is developing a comprehensive state policy for veterans, aiming to establish a robust framework for guaranteed veterans’ rights, and is open to leveraging the Council of Europe’s expertise in this endeavor.
Uliana Tokarieva, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, stressed the importance of coordinated action among all relevant state bodies and international partners to successfully protect the rights of military personnel, veterans, and their families.
The Council of Europe expressed its appreciation for the commitment of all stakeholders and hopes for strengthened multilateral cooperation through the Project.
The event was organized under the Council of Europe Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine,” a component of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery, Reconstruction” (2023-2026).
