Twenty-three military officers from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine have enhanced their expertise in international human rights law, international humanitarian law (IHL), the prevention of discrimination, and the protection of women's rights in the armed forces.
The participants, representing nine regions of Ukraine — including Zhytomyr, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and Cherkasy — took part in a two-day, in-person training session held on 14–15 April. The training was the first in a series of two events organised by the Council of Europe, following a request from the Ministry’s Division for Gender Issues and Relations with Religious Organizations.
The training sessions brought together legal officers, military unit lawyers, and representatives of military management branches, with the primary aim of promoting a comprehensive understanding of the application of human rights and IHL within the armed forces.
The course was structured around three main training blocks:
- Block 1: Human rights law and the rule of law in the context of armed conflict; key principles of IHL; and the rights and responsibilities of military personnel under human rights and IHL frameworks.
- Block 2: Addressing discrimination and gender-based violence within the armed forces, in line with Ukrainian legislation and international standards; strategies for prevention and response.
- Block 3: Safeguarding the right to life during armed conflict; preventing torture and inhuman or degrading treatment; and upholding freedom of religion in conflict situations.
Participants engaged with trainers and experts through interactive lectures and case-based group work, fostering practical skills and critical discussion.
This initiative aims to strengthen the Ministry’s capacity to implement human rights and international standards across its policies and operations.
The training was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “The rights of veterans and personnel of armed forces in Ukraine”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery, Reconstruction” (2023-2026).
