How can state support for civilians affected by the war become more accessible, fair and responsive to people's actual needs? This question will be at the heart of the newly established Working Group on improving the legal framework governing support for civilians affected by the war, which held its inaugural meeting on 8 July under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, Inna Solodka.

The Working Group brings together representatives of public authorities, civil society, international organisations and the expert community. Participants agreed that existing support mechanisms should evolve in response to emerging challenges and that the legal framework should better address the needs of civilians whose rights have been affected by the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine.

One of the key outcomes of the first meeting was a shared commitment to develop legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at strengthening the state's support system for war-affected civilians. The Working Group will focus on making existing support mechanisms more accessible, effective and easier for people to navigate.

The Working Group is supported by the Council of Europe project "Further strengthening judicial and non-judicial remedies for the human rights protection of the war-affected people in Ukraine". Protecting the rights of war-affected people remains one of the Council of Europe's priorities in Ukraine. Through this initiative, the Project will provide expert support for the development of legislative proposals, contribute international expertise and promote the application of European standards in the field of state support for war-affected people.

The Council of Europe welcomes the establishment of this interinstitutional platform and stands ready to continue supporting its Ukrainian partners in developing solutions that enhance the protection of rights and improve access to state support for civilians affected by the war.