The conference "Overarching Law Enforcement Reform as a Key Component of Ukraine's EU Accession", organised by the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine in cooperation with its partners, served as an important platform for strategic dialogue on the future of Ukraine’s law enforcement sector. The event took place on 1 July 2025 in Kyiv.
Among the event’s speakers were the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Ms Olga Stefanishyna, the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Mr Ihor Klymenko. Their participation underscored the importance of law enforcement reforms as one of the key elements on Ukraine’s path toward European integration.
Participants – representatives of the Parliament, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Justice, civil society, and international organisations – discussed the challenges and achievements in implementing the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Overarching Strategic Reform Plan for law enforcement agencies for 2023–2027. This Plan is a key tool in the process of meeting the criteria for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
Alisa Pietukhova, Project Manager at the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, spoke during the second panel of the conference: "Perspectives from Civil Society and International Partners". In her speech, she presented the activities already implemented with the support of two Council of Europe projects in Ukraine: "Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine – Phase II" and "Strengthening Ukrainian Law Enforcement Agencies During War and Post-War Period – Phase II", both of which directly contribute to the implementation of the Action Plan.
Background: The Action Plan is a detailed roadmap for implementing the Overarching Strategic Reform Plan for law enforcement agencies, approved by presidential decree on 11 May 2023. The approval of this strategic document was one of the prerequisites for opening accession negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union.
