Project “HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine including during wartime, Phase II” aims at enhancing the capacities of current/future legal professionals in Ukraine (judges, prosecutors, lawyers, other court staff and law students) in order to apply the European human rights standards efficiently including during  and post war time.

This will be done through the promotion of the Council of Europe HELP courses, including “International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights”, “Temporary Protection in the European Union” and “Deportation of Children during Armed Conflicts”. In addition, the Project will support the national adaptation of relevant HELP training courses and their related implementation (on-line, in presence and/or hybrid formats) in line with the HELP methodology. The project will further facilitate introduction of HELP courses and methodology in Ukrainian universities and law faculties.    The project will mainly support relevant justice training institutions and the Ukrainian National Bar association, as well as Law faculties/universities to strengthen their institutional capacities to  improve the qualification of current and future legal professionals on the  standards and practices of the Council of Europe.

In the challenging situation  of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, legal professionals (primarily judges, prosecutors, investigators and lawyers) should have the necessary knowledge and skills to apply the European and international human rights  standards to protect human rights and access the information needed for informed decision-making. Moreover, law students need constant improvement in their knowledge of European human rights standards (including in times of war), as this category will soon  become practising legal professionals. 

The Council of Europe Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) supports the 46 Council of Europe member states in implementing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and other human rights standards at the domestic level. This is done in accordance with the Committee of Ministers Recommendation (2019)5 on the system of the ECHR in university education and professional training, which builds on and replaces Rec(2004)4. HELP provides training on European human rights standards (covering both the CoE and EU legal systems) by supporting Justice Training Institutions (JTIs) and Bar Associations (BAs).

The total budget of the Project amounts to EUR 700 000.

The Project is implemented by 31 December 2026.

• Promoting   HELP course on International Humanitarian Law and other relevant courses for war context;     
• organising at least four HELP Training-of-trainers sessions to support Ukrainian justice training institutions (JTIs), Bar associations (BAs) and other actors to deliver high-quality training to legal professionals;     
• organising two seminars for legal professionals on relevant topics and HELP courses;     
• monitoring of the implementation of the HELP strategy for Universities;     
• HELP course launches – at least ten presential/hybrid and four online launches;     
• legal contextualisation of at least three HELP courses selected by Ukrainian partners;     
• cooperation with Ukrainian justice training institutions, Bar Associations, law faculties at Ukrainian Universities, and other actors to promote the use of Council of Europe/HELP self-learning and tutored courses;     
• creation of at least three video promotional materials on HELP courses in Ukrainian language.

CATALOGUE OF HELP ONLINE COURSES (English)

1. Admissibility Criteria
2. Anti-discrimination
3. Asylum and Human Rights
4. Bioethics
5. Child-friendly Justice
6. Children’s Rights – Key Challenges
7. Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings
8. CPT Standards
9. Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence
10. Ethics for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers
11. Family Law and Human Rights
12. Hate Crime
13. Hate Speech
14. Human Rights in the Armed Forces
15. Internal Displacement
16. International Cooperation in Criminal Matters
17. Introduction to the ECHR and the ECtHR
18. Labour Rights as Human Rights
19. Pre-trial Investigation and the ECHR
20. Procedural Rights and Safeguards
21. Prohibition of Ill-treatment
22. Violence against Women and Domestic Violence for Law Enforcement
23. Property Right
24. Refugee and Migrant Children
25. Right to Liberty and Security
26. Transitional Justice and Human Rights
27. Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
28. Access to Justice for Women
29. Judicial Reasoning and Human Rights
30. Fight Against Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia and Transphobia
31. Managing Foreign National Prisoners
32. Introduction to the European Social Charter
33. Radicalisation Prevention
34. Temporary Protection in the European Union
35. International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
36. Deportation of Children during Armed Conflicts
37. Introduction to Corruption Prevention
38. Freedom of Expression
39. Protection and Safety of Journalists
40. Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

• National School of Judges of Ukraine
• Prosecutor`s Training Center of Ukraine
• Coordination Center for Legal Aid Provision at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
• High School of Public Governance, National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service
• High School of Advocacy, Ukrainian National Bar Association
• Law Faculties in Ukraine

Contacts:

Project Manager in Strasbourg:
Krystyna Khokhlova

Senior Project Officer in Kyiv:
Galyna Smirnova
 

Facebook “European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals”

LinkedIn page “Justice and Human Rights Training at the Council of Europe”