More than 100 assistants to heads on veterans’ policy from Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) strengthened their expertise in state veterans’ policy, veterans’ rights protection, and institutional cooperation through a series of three online training sessions held on 27–29 April 2026. Organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the programme brought together participants from across the MoIA system, including the National Police of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, and higher education institutions, with active support from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the NGO “Veteran Hub.”
Designed as an introductory yet practical capacity-building initiative for the newly established role of assistant to the head on veterans’ policy, the training helped participants better understand Ukraine’s state veterans’ policy framework, available programmes and support tools, and mechanisms for effective coordination with public institutions and civil society organisations at both national and regional levels. Emphasis was placed on strengthening cooperation among key stakeholders to ensure more coherent, systematic, and accessible support for veterans, especially during their transition from military to civilian life – thanks to active participation of partner institutions, including the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the NGO “Veteran Hub.”
The sessions also deepened participants’ knowledge of Council of Europe standards and relevant international frameworks concerning the rights of veterans and military personnel, while examining Ukraine’s current legal and institutional safeguards for veterans. Participants left the training better equipped to identify existing challenges, deal with legislative and policy gaps, and contribute more effectively to the development of a rights-based, sustainable veterans’ support system within the MoIA.
The training was conducted within the framework of the Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023–2026).
