On April 27, 2021, the Council of Europe Project "Combating violence against children in Ukraine" presented "Methodological Guidelines on Investigative Interviewing of Children", which were developed by the Council of Europe Office in cooperation with partners from state institutions.

In 2015, the Council of Europe presented in Ukraine the publication "Methodological recommendations for interviewing children victims or witnesses of violence, as well as child offenders". Currently, the Council of Europe, within the framework of its efforts to enhance the capacities on implementation of appropriate standards and improve the skills of specialists working with children, has engaged experts to continue this work and develop Methodological guidelines based on The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Investigative Interview Protocol. It is a structured protocol for professionals who interview children as part of an investigation.

The Methodological Guidelines present a practical tool that considers international and national best practices in the protection and safety of children who are witnesses in criminal proceedings, namely child-friendly justice standards. The publication is intended for professionals from law enforcement agencies, providers of social services, educators, lawyers, psychologists, students, postgraduates, representatives of civil society organizations.

In order to ensure a high-quality and comprehensive approach to the creation of these methodological recommendations, the Project held consultation meetings with partners and stakeholders during December of last year.

Approximately 300 participants joined the online presentation of "Methodological Guidelines on Investigative Interviewing of Children". Olena Lytvynenko, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, opened the meeting. Kateryna Pavlichenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and Gunduz Mammadov, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine addressed the participants with welcoming speeches.

The Council of Europe Project "Combating violence against children in Ukraine" continues its activities to harmonize national procedures in accordance with international standards and practices. Within the framework of Project activities, it is planned to hold a training event for law enforcement officers based on the materials of "Methodological Guidelines on Investigative Interviewing of Children".

The event recording is available at the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/ef7_wzneamZFZlebJgHwDwnJu7Ar0paWtjAtyi1w5hWtV-7N_E5tigLvr7bZGz_7.DmKYgKT33vql7e56; Access Passcode: LK0EC*x7