How can people in Ukraine access the social services they need during wartime? What barriers do they face, and how can communities better support those most in need? These questions are at the heart of a new analytical report, “The right to social services under martial law: challenges, obstacles, and solutions”, presented on 21 October 2026.

Based on monitoring visits to communities in four regions of Ukraine, the report examines the challenges people face in accessing essential social services and offers practical recommendations for improving their availability and quality.

The research highlights the importance of bringing social services closer to people and adapting support to their individual needs, particularly for those facing difficult life circumstances. It also emphasises the need to strengthen community-based services and move away from institutional care towards more inclusive, person-centred forms of support.

The findings go beyond identifying challenges. The report proposes concrete measures to improve social services in line with the standards of the European Social Charter. Its recommendations are expected to support advocacy efforts and inform social policy reforms, including the development of Ukraine’s Social Code. They are relevant not only to meeting people's needs during wartime but also to building a more accessible and effective social services system during post-war recovery.

The findings and recommendations were discussed with representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, members of Parliament, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, the National Social Service, the Office of the President, territorial communities and experts in social services.

The report was developed by the Charitable Foundation “Rokada” in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, with the support of the Council of Europe project “Strengthening the social dimension in Ukraine”, as part of the grant initiative “Ensuring the right to social services under martial law: monitoring, analysis, and advocacy for vulnerable groups”.

The report is available at the link (available in Ukrainian only).

The Council of Europe Project "Strengthening the social dimension in Ukraine" is implemented by the Council of Europe within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026. The Project aims to ensure that general public and people from vulnerable groups, including war-affected population in Ukraine, benefit from targeted social protection and support.