The impact of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine on human rights delivery in Ukrainian communities was the focus of an assessment report prepared by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The report assessed the role and capacities of local and regional authorities, their national associations and other stakeholders in integrating human rights standards into their work. It also reviewed their co-operation with the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine.   

On 4 April, the findings and recommendations of this “Assessment report on the implementation of a human rights-based approach at the local and regional level in Ukraine” were presented to key national, regional and local stakeholders in an online meeting. The report highlighted the crucial role of local and regional authorities in the realisation of human rights under the challenging circumstances of martial law and post-war reconstruction, focusing on increased awareness of human rights, resource constraints faced by Ukrainian communities, use of the Register of Damage for Ukraine, as well as the need for engaging vulnerable groups and for better co-ordination among stakeholders. It called in particular for better co-operation and joint work between the different levels of government, the Ombudsperson of Ukraine, and civil society.

Presenting the report, Mélanie Lepoultier (France, L, ILDG), Congress Deputy Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights, praised the remarkable resilience of Ukrainian local and regional authorities, and encouraged the participants to mainstream human rights in their daily work. “Let this report be not just an assessment, but a call to action: one that reaffirms our dedication to building resilient, inclusive, and rights-based local governance in Ukraine and beyond,” she concluded.

The assessment report was produced as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023–2026 and the project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery”, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

The assessment report is available at:

Executive Summary [ English | Ukrainian ]

 Full report [ English | Ukrainian ]