Global Rights Compliance’s Child Justice Team (CJT) is working with the Office of the Prosecutor General’s Department for the Protection of Children’s Interests and Combating Domestic Violence (OPG JJD) and the Victim and Witness Coordination Centre (VCC) to develop a Best Interests Assessment (BIA) Procedure. This framework will ensure that criminal investigations and proceedings for conflict-related crimes against children prioritise the best interests of the child at every stage.
The initiative consists of key phases:
- Drafting the procedure
- Testing the procedure on real cases
- Reviewing and refining the procedure based on the findings
To launch the three-month testing phase, GRC and the OPG JJD and VCC held a three-day training for prosecutors, investigators, and VCC coordinators involved in two national cases. This training, along with ongoing support, will equip them with the tools to apply the BIA Procedure to criminal investigations and proceedings, ensuring child-friendly approaches to justice for conflict-related crimes.
This initiative was made possible with the support of the Prosecutor’s Training Center of Ukraine, a state institution dedicated to enhancing prosecutors’ skills and capacity to deliver justice.