Last week the Raoul Wallenberg Institute concluded an intense mission to Ukraine. The focus of the mission has been on human rights work in the light of Ukraine’s EU accession process and recovery.
Ukraine’s commitment to the EU accession process is real and Human Rights are a fundamental part of this journey. Still, one cannot ignore the devastating effects of the Russian war against the country, a reality that affects Ukrainians everyday life and leaves scars, both visible and less visible, that will last for a long time.
Ukraine has many knowledgeable and competent people to drive the EU accession process, but at the same time, their capacities are stretched and need to be reinforced with international support and expertise – to continuously provide a sounding board on the EU journey and ensure that the country reaches its final destination – becoming a full member of the EU within a foreseeable future.
Strategic engagement by Academia can support this endeavor in both short- and long-term by swiftly bridging expertise gaps and educating a new generation of policymakers and practitioners with necessary local expertise to drive the integration process forward.
Any EU accession process cannot succeed without supporting both regional and local levels in society – to make the political commitment to the EU perspective more relevant to everyday realities and cultivate the crucial local ownership by ordinary Ukrainians. No EU accession will succeed without placing fundamental rights at the forefront. Fulfilling Acquis Chapters 23 and 24 is critical, as they serve as prerequisites for closing other EU chapters down the line.
RWI’s mission to Ukraine was concluded by discussing concrete actions of support with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. We stand ready to support Ukraine in the essential human rights work ahead.
We are grateful for the insights provided by the Government Office for Coordination on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner For Human Rights, Lviv Bureau of European Integration/ Львівське бюро євроінтеграції, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukrainian Bar Association, ZMINA Human Rights Center, Center for Civil Liberties as well as the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, Delegation of the EU to Ukraine, UN Agencies, Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, and EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI).
