On 12-13 June 2023, a newly appointed Taskforce held the first of a series of workshops aimed at creating a nation-wide set of protocols for investigating and prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Ukraine. The taskforce, which was appointed with the assistance of Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), comprises representatives of investigative agencies and prosecution offices from both the regional and central levels in Ukraine. Using a collaborative and consultative work process, the Taskforce will produce a set of proposed steps and recommendations to strengthen CRSV investigations and prosecutions in an effective and victim/survivor-centric manner, in line with international best practice.
Under the leadership of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andrii Kostin, several steps have been taken to strengthen the domestic response to conflict-related crimes. For instance, a set of generic standards for the investigation of war crimes, as well as specific ones for the investigation of unlawful deprivation of liberty and torture, have been developed in consultation with national and international experts. The current process for developing SOPs specifically for CRSV will add to this growing body of standards and contribute to consistency of practice in working methods relating to investigations and prosecutions of sexual violence across actors and regions in Ukraine.
Going forward, the Taskforce will continue to meet and develop their proposed SOPs, in consultation with other domestic and international experts and practitioners. The Taskforce will be assisted by experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (part of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) and Global Rights Compliance.
For more information, please contact Anna Mykytenko, Senior Legal Adviser and Ukraine Country Manager, at: anna.mykytenko@grcompliance.co.uk