By Anna Pedash, Programme Associate
From 8 to 10 July 2026, Tukhan Ediev, Programme Officer, and Anna Pedash, Programme Associate, conducted the first series of regional visits to the Offices of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Rivne, Volyn, Lviv and Zakarpattia regions as part of the Human Rights Infrastructure in Ukraine (HRIU) project. The visits aimed to strengthen cooperation with the regional offices, better understand their day-to-day work, identify capacity-building needs, and discuss opportunities for future support.
While many of the challenges discussed were common across all regions—including the protection of the rights of military personnel, veterans, internally displaced persons, children and other vulnerable groups—each region also presented its own priorities. In Volyn, discussions focused on the Mokrany–Domanove humanitarian corridor and opportunities for cooperation within the Lutsk – Human Rights City initiative. In Rivne, discussions highlighted cooperation with higher education institutions, the development of human rights education initiatives, and the training of new civic monitors. In Lviv, discussions centered on the Lviv Region – A Human Rights Region concept and the activities of the newly established Human Rights Protection Centre in Lviv Region, designed in accordance with the principles of architectural and information accessibility. In Zakarpattia, discussions focused on priority areas of work, including the protection of the rights of children, military personnel and their family members.
These visits marked the first phase of a broader series of regional missions planned under the HRIU project. The findings will inform future capacity-building activities, including specialised training, practical guidance materials, and continued engagement with regional offices across Ukraine. The full mission report is available here.
Learn more about our work in Ukraine: https://rwi.lu.se/ukraine/