MATRA Ukraine - Strengthening Ukraine’s Capacity to Investigate and Prosecute International Crimes

Jul 1, 2020 - Jun 30, 2024

Project description

The objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the newly created War Crimes Unit, enhance the expertise of the judiciary and empower CSOs and defense and victim lawyers in Ukraine to more adequately investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and monitor international crimes. This support is extremely timely, as Ukraine is about to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and suffers from a lack of capacity to deal with international crimes, engendered by amongst others the recent reorganization of the Ukrainian prosecution service.

The project will ensure that this reform process is informed by best (Dutch) practices and expertise to end impunity, and that the main stakeholders, including civil society, are supported to understand and fulfill their own roles in ensuring respect for international law and providing redress and truth to the victims.

In the long-term, our project will contribute to an overall increased respect for the rule of law and greater trust by the Ukrainian population in its government. Moreover, the project aims to contribute to regional cooperation and for the country to become more resilient towards (pro-)Russian disinformation and geopolitical aims in the Eastern Partnership region.

This project is a joint initiative of the Asser Institute and Global Rights Compliance. It is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the MATRA (MAatschappelijke TRAnsformatie: social transformation) Programme and supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security.

Project website: www.asser.nl/matra-ukraine