By: Olga Gaponenco, Programme Officer, Ukraine Office
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) held a high-level workshop in Kyiv from 29-31 October, in partnership with the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (UPCHR) — Ukraine’s National Human Rights Institution.
The event, as a first major milestone under RWI’s new Ukraine Programme, brought together 35 representatives of the UPCHR Secretariat and regional offices to to identify institutional strengths and capacity gaps of the Secretariat and its regional offices, enhance coordination and communication mechanisms, and support the UPCHR in fulfilling its mandate in line with international human rights standards and Ukraine’s EU accession commitments.
Why It Matters
As Ukraine advances on its path toward EU accession, strengthening its National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) is crucial to ensuring effective protection and accountability. As specialized state actors independent of government, NHRIs play a unique role in promoting and protecting human rights at both the national and local levels. Since 1995, RWI has supported more than 50 NHRIs worldwide, enhancing their ability to promote, protect, and monitor human rights. Through its unique capacity-building model — which addresses operational, institutional, and functional needs — RWI helps NHRIs evolve from foundational knowledge to international recognition. This experience enables us to effectively support partners like the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (UPCHR) in strengthening their institutional capacity and human rights impact.
This workshop supported the Commissioner’s Office in aligning its internal processes and regional outreach with European and international human rights standards — helping to make the institution more responsive, transparent, and cohesive.
The session was supported with initial seed funding from the Swedish Institute and subsequently formed part of RWI’s Human Rights Infrastructure for Ukraine (HRIU) Programme (2025–2027), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The Programme aims to strengthen Ukraine’s human rights infrastructure and support the country’s recovery and EU accession process by enhancing the capacity of key national human rights institutions and local actors to integrate and apply international human rights standards in governance, justice, and recovery efforts.
Key Highlights
The session addressed an important institutional need to ensure greater coherence and alignment between the Commissioner’s Secretariat and regional offices. As Ukraine advances reforms aimed at strengthening human rights protection mechanisms, this initiative contributes to enhancing the effectiveness, transparency, and responsiveness of the Commissioner’s Office.
- 35 participants (21 men, 14 women) from the UPCHR Secretariat and regional offices
- Interactive format: group strategy mapping, retrospective institutional analysis, and planning exercises
- On the first day of the workshop, participants reflected on the current strengths and challenges of the UPCHR Secretariat and its regional offices, set a common understanding of the institution’s mandate within the EU accession context, and began a participatory mapping exercise to identify key institutional functions, regional dynamics, and priority areas for strengthening coordination and capacity development.
- The second day centered on strategic reflection and collective foresight. Participants worked in groups to update the Strategic Map, define their institutional priorities, and envision where they see themselves and their offices in the next 18 months. The teams developed quarterly goals, identified key performance indicators, and outlined a step-by-step strategy for 2026–2028. Through an engaging “Geographical Brain Ring,” participants transformed regional experiences into a coherent national picture – mapping challenges, sources of inspiration, and expectations for the year ahead. The discussions also touched on innovative ideas such as the architecture of a future Ombudsman mobile app and possible expansion of regional staff.
- The final day focused on translating insights into practical steps. Participants consolidated their strategic priorities and finalized the draft of the Strategic Map – a tool to guide coordination, planning, and performance assessment across the Secretariat and regional offices. The discussions emphasized follow-up actions, monitoring mechanisms, and how to embed the agreed goals into internal processes and official documents. The day also provided space for feedback and shared commitment to sustain collaboration beyond the workshop, ensuring that the vision shaped collectively over the three days turns into measurable results and stronger human rights protection across Ukraine.
Participants highlighted how the session offered a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and realign.
“When you work non-stop, you don’t always have time to structure your thoughts — to reflect on the path you’ve taken, the successes achieved, and the challenges faced,”
One participant shared:
“Yesterday felt like a Geographical Brain Ring — a wave of thoughts from across Ukraine that gradually took shape into a structured map of our country. The main outcome was the systematisation of our ideas, achievements, and vision for the future — reflecting both what we’ve learned during our current mandate and where we’re heading next.”
Following the session, the Commissioner’s Office will finalize the Strategic Map to guide institutional planning, coordination, and capacity development from 2026 onward. RWI will continue providing technical and methodological support to ensure that the outcomes translate into lasting improvements in human rights protection across Ukraine.
Regional actors play a vital role in decentralization and advancing human rights at the local level. Their engagement ensures that institutional reforms are effectively implemented where citizens experience justice and rights protection most directly.
The local level is crucial for the success of judicial reform and the protection of fundamental rights under EU Accession Chapter 23. Strengthening local infrastructure is indispensable for Ukraine’s EU integration and for building a sustainable rule of law culture within communities.
These efforts will be further supported through other Sida-funded initiatives aimed at empowering regional human rights actors and deepening cooperation between state, civil society, and academia.
To learn more about RWI’s work in Ukraine, visit: Our work in Ukraine – The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
To learn more about RWI’s work with national human rights institutions and our support for strengthening human rights protection globally, visit: https://rwi.lu.se/human_rights_institutions/ or https://rwi.lu.se/how-we-work-with-national-human-rights-institutions/.