On April 5, 2024, a training on crisis communications and work in social networks was held in Kyiv for regional representatives of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

Twenty regional representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights from Donetsk, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Chernivtsi regions were introduced to the concepts of crisis, strategic, and state communications. They learned about the specifics and ethics of these forms of communication, modern trends in communications, standards of journalism during times of conflict, and the unique aspects of communication in social networks.

The participants were educated about crisis communications, which included understanding the nature of crises, the rules to follow, recognizing signs of a crisis, and identifying potential solutions. They also discussed the main principles of democracy, decentralisation, and communication technology, as well as the policy of one voice and the Lasswell model. An important part of the training focused on the specific communication challenges faced by regional representatives of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in light of the ongoing military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The participants focused on communication in social networks, including content creation for specific audiences, design, algorithms, and monitoring user engagement metrics. They discussed the specifics of social media communication, drawing from their experiences, particularly addressing image formats, reposts, comments, and responding to negative feedback, also known as "grey posts".

The training provided participants with valuable practical advice on basic communication rules for social networks, acquiring communication skills for uncertain and critical situations, and decision-making abilities. The participants expressed their readiness to apply the knowledge and skills they gained in practical work and discussed their next steps.

The trainers of the event are qualified national consultants, Aryna Satovska, an expert in strategic communications and PR, and Andrii Bazdyrev, an expert in social network management.

The Council of Europe is supporting educational initiatives related to the communication activities of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and regional representatives. This includes efforts to enhance the professional competence of employees in line with the Council of Europe's standards. The second training session, part of a series of events for regional representatives of the Ombudsperson’s Office, is being organized by the Council of Europe Project "Supporting Implementation of the European Human Rights Standards in Ukraine".

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The Council of Europe project "Supporting Implementation of the European Human Rights Standards in Ukraine" is aimed at supporting the effective implementation of European human rights standards, combating ill-treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims, strengthening the operational capacity of the Ombudsperson’s Office, as well as supporting the protection of the right to privacy and personal data.