Support to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) 2021-2023

Key results and impact HRMMU fulfilled its core function to monitor, report and advocate on human rights violations and international humanitarian law concerns in Ukraine throughout the project period despite security and operational challenges resulting from the Russian Federation full-scale armed attack against Ukraine. HRMMU conducted regular field visits to communities affected by the conflict, including areas near the frontline, from its offices in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa.1 HRMMU also remotely monitored the human rights situation in the Russian-occupied territory from its roving presence in Sumy, which is the only land entry point between the Russian Federation and Ukraine for civilians and the satellite office in Moldova, which allowed safer outreach to sources in the occupied territory and Russian Federation. HRMMUs geographical reach enabled the Mission to produce reports on and advocate for the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of human rights throughout Ukraine. The Mission continued to reach victims and witnesses of human rights violations, shelled areas, isolated villages near the front line, detention facilities and prisoner of war camps, and territory regained by Ukraine after Russian occupation in a timely manner. Overall, the Mission interviewed victims or witnesses of human rights or international humanitarian law violations across Ukraine. A unique and important function performed by the Mission is its record of civilian casualties in Ukraine. HRMMU record of civilian casualties provides an authoritative and verified record of the human cost of the war, which is utilized by a wide range of international actors, such as the UN system, including the UN Country Team, parties to the conflict, the international diplomatic community and international media as basis for advocacy with duty bearers aimed at accountability, better international humanitarian law (IHL) and international humanitarian law (IHRL) compliance, remedy and reparation to victims and bringing perpetrators to justice. This work also serves as an early warning tool, helping humanitarian actors to direct their assistance to beneficiaries in a more precise manner. Based on its human right fact-finding, monitoring, documentation, and verification activities, as well as its engagement with various stakeholders, including victims and witnesses of IHRL and IHL violations, authorities, civil society, and international partners HRMMU published 19 reports and 6 briefing notes. In addition, in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 77/229 HRMMU monitored the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (hereafter Crimea), and prepared six Secretary-Generals reports on human rights in temporarily occupied territory. These reports include recommendations to the Governments of Ukraine and Russia, the international community, and other stakeholders to address concerns, prevent violations and mitigate emerging risks relating to human rights concerns documented by the Mission. The Missions reliable and unbiased public reports and analytical assessments on human rights violations in Ukraine informed all relevant national and international duty-bearers, decision-makers, civil society, and other stakeholders of the human rights situation in Ukraine. By providing credible, timely and thorough human rights analysis to national and international actors, HRMMU enabled them to take actions for the protection of victims. In the context of frequent circulation of misinformation related to the ongoing armed conflict, the Missions careful, objective monitoring, analysis and robust advocacy has proven especially relevant for international security, peace and accountability mechanisms and local stakeholders. UN Member States, civil society organizations, as well as UN Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures referred to the HRMMUs findings and recommendations as a basis for assisting national institutions in addressing human rights violations. Cited 23 times at the UN Security Council, HRMMU's protection of civilians figures underscored the international community's reliance on its reliable information regarding the human cost of the conflict. HRMMU reports were diligently discusses at the Human Rights Council 12 times in the project period. Furthermore, the extensive coverage of HRMMUs findings by reputable international and local media outlets, such as the Washington Post, BBC, and Reuters, reinforced the global dissemination of its findings, contributing to a heightened awareness of the conflict's human toll. HRMMUs reports also make an essential contribution to achieving justice and increasing accountability. HRMMUs concurrent documentation of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) violations crucially contributes to establishing a credible record of events to enable holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring remedy and reparations to victims. To highlight some examples of the Missions contribution to international and national justice mechanisms, the European Court of Human Rights extensively relied on information and evidence collected by HRMMU in its 2023 decision of the inter-state case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia concerning events in eastern Ukraine, including the downing of the MH17 flight. In January 2024, the International Court of Justice relied on HRMMU analysis in two decisions examining violations by the Russian Federation of provisions of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (ICSFT) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). HRMMU findings were also explicitly referred to in multiple judgements of the European Court of Human Rights in 2021 relating to accountability for events during Maidan protests in 2014. These decisions underline the weight given to HRMMUs reports as a form of evidence in international courts and tribunals. Local courts in Ukraine also referenced HRMMU reports in conflict-related cases, with HRMMU findings being mentioned in more than 65 judgements and verdicts of national courts of all levels during 2023. HRMMU made a notable contribution to ensuring human rights concerns and human rights-based approach is integrated into plans and programmes of other UN agencies and humanitarian actors in Ukraine. HRMMU analysis provided humanitarian and development actors with information for enhanced shaping of evidence-based policies, assistance programs and response mechanisms and helped them direct their assistance to beneficiaries in a more precise manner. A key part of the engagement was supporting these actors to adopt human rights sensitive approaches into humanitarian response and conflict cycle management. Essential part of this was advice on inclusion of persons in situations of vulnerability, including persons with disabilities and older persons, and strengthening integration of gender perspectives. HRMMU achieved this by providing substantial contribution to shaping strategic documents and response mechanisms and their implementation for the UN Country Team and the Humanitarian Country Team, including the Partnership Frameworks between the Government of Ukraine and the UN for 2025-2030, the Transitional Framework 2022-24, and Humanitarian Needs Overviews and Response Plans for Ukraine. HRMMU authoritative data on civilian casualties was crucial for supporting the Humanitarian Program Cycle. Moreover, HRMMU engaged with key recovery mechanisms to advise on a human-rights based approach, including assessments such as the World Bank Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. HRMMU also led the update of the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy Risk Assessment in Ukraine after the full-scale armed attack. The Mission's involvement in formulating a revised UN Country Team Action Plan against sexual exploitation and abuse and its contribution to the Protection cluster underscored its commitment to human rights mainstreaming in humanitarian response activities. HRMMUs reporting, advice, advocacy and assistance increased respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights in Ukraine. By the end of 2023, the Government of Ukraine had partially or completely implemented 73 per cent of the 68 measurable recommendations HRMMU had formulated in its reports and briefing papers since 24 February 2022 (4 recommendations implemented fully and 18 partially out of 30). Implemented recommendations concerned for example, ensuring timely and thorough forensic analysis for killed civilians and taking measures to ensure needs of older persons and persons with disabilities are taken into consideration during evacuations from areas affected by hostilities. The Government had also made progress on issues such as taking action to ensure all victims of sexual violence can access adequate medical and psychological services in a safe, confidential, and rapid manner, and to investigate and prosecute all cases of enforced disappearance to hold all perpetrators accountable regardless of their affiliation. In contrast, the Russian Federation, in its role as the occupying power, has managed partial implementation of only 18 per cent of recommendations (7 partly implemented recommendations out of 38), including, for example, releasing some civilian detainees from detention places in the occupied territories of Ukraine or exchanging remains of some of the deceased. Such implementation rate underlines the importance of concrete HRMMU recommendations and follow up advocacy to bring attention to and galvanize action to address pressing human rights challenges in Ukraine. As part of its progress on long-term impact, HRMMU managed to record advancement on a number of issues, which contributed to the institutionalisation of protection of human rights. Below are examples some impact achieved, such as changes in legislation, policies and practices following HRMMU advocacy (non-exhaustive): National Human Rights Strategy and the Action Plan HRMMU led joint UN support to the National Human Rights Strategy and National Human Rights Action Plan in 2021 as well as its revision in 2022, which allowed for a better incorporation of critical issues, such as remedy and reparations for civilian victims of the conflict, enhancing gender mainstreaming, ensuring non-discrimination, promotion of social cohesion, freedom of media, freedom of peaceful assembly, ensuring uninterrupted service provision throughout Ukraine, accessibility of free legal aid, human rights awareness, the rights of detainees and remedy for violations, and treatment of POWs. UN inputs are expected to increase the protection of the most vulnerable groups and ensure gender mainstreaming in all spheres of life in the new Strategy. This demonstrates HRMMUs significant impact on shaping national human rights policies and promoting a comprehensive approach to protecting human rights in Ukraine. Improvements in the treatment of prisoners of war under the control of Ukraine Persistent monitoring and advocacy by HRMMU contributed to improvements in the treatment of prisoners of war (POW) under control of Ukraine. This includes the Government of Ukraine committing to humane treatment of POWs in line with IHL, marked enhancements at a POW camp in the Lviv region addressing concerns highlighted in OHCHR reports, and opening some investigations into cases of mistreatment. In addition, the Mission has documented a gradual decrease in violence upon the capture of Russian POWs after February 2023, to which targeted advocacy and public pressure reliant on public information provided by HRMMU has positively contributed to. Preventing and addressing torture HRMMU advocacy contributed to adoption of law No. 5336, which amended the Ukrainian criminal code on responsibility for the crime of torture, increasing penalties and bringing the definition in line with the Convention against torture. These improvements in legislation align with international standards are expected to provide better accountability for torture. Draft law On the Security Service of Ukraine contained strong safeguards against torture and ill[1]treatment by SBU officials. As a result of systematic documentation of cases of conflict-related torture and ill-treatment on both sides of the contact line, and of HRMMU public reporting on this issue, HRMMU has grounds to believe that the decrease in the number of cases observed before the February 2022 armed attack can be partially attributed to systemic HRMMU efforts in this area. Key protection documents include human rights concerns HRMMU's advocacy efforts were instrumental in securing the adoption of the Strategy for the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts for 2023-2030. HRMMU has expressed full support for the Strategy, committing to provide technical assistance in its action plan drafting. • Support to the National Recovery Plan enabled the inclusion of human rights standards and considerations for persons in vulnerable situations. HRMMU's involvement in drafting sections related to the remedy and reparation of civilian victims, coupled with advocacy for human rights standards, reinforces the plan's commitment to human rights. Enhanced access to public services for residents of occupied territory In line with longstanding HRMMU advocacy, a draft law which introduces an administrative procedure for recognizing births, deaths, marriages, and divorces based on documentation issued by the occupation authorities was registered in 2023. Changing registration of civil status acts that took place in the occupied territory from judicial to administrative procedure is crucial for facilitating the exercise of various rights, including equal access to public services, for persons coming from the occupied territory. • In 2021, the Parliament of Ukraine repealed the legislation which had assigned non-resident taxpayer status to persons originating from Crimea and residents of mainland Ukraine with a Crimean address in their passport. The law had contributed to discrimination of Crimean residents from everyday banking services. Improvements in freedom of movement in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2021 Parliament of Ukraine froze penalties for residents of armed-group controlled territory travelling to Government-controlled territory through the Russian Federation. • The self-proclaimed Donetsk peoples republic cancelled the requirement to have a DPR passport to cross the contact line. • The Russian Federation adopted a Resolution, which inter alia cancelled the so-called one-time crossing rule, introduced in the context of travel restrictions during the pandemic. HRMMU has been long advocating on and highlighting the negative impact of the rule on school graduates. HRMMU Reporting in 2021-23 Twelve public periodic reports on the human rights situation in Ukraine. • Six SG Reports on Crimea. • Six thematic reports: Arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment; Civic Space and fundamental freedoms; The situation of human rights in Ukraine in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation; Killings of civilians; Treatment of POWs; Detention of civilians. • One spot report and four briefing papers. • 164 updates on conflict-related civilian casualties/protection of civilians, 44 conflict situation updates, as well as confidential early warning notes, hate speech compilations and Covid-19 updates. Result 1: The Government of Ukraine, other parties to the conflict and international community are better informed on IHRL and IHL issues, including in the conflict-affected areas and Crimea, and are enabled to appropriately address the issues of concern and respond to individual cases and patterns identified by OHCHR/HRMMU. HRMMUs extensive monitoring work served as a source for reliable and unbiased public reports and analytical assessments on human rights violations in Ukraine, informing all relevant national and international duty-bearers, decision-makers, civil society, and other stakeholders of the human rights situation in Ukraine. By providing credible, timely and thorough human rights analysis to national and international actors, HRMMU enabled them to take actions for the protection of victims. During the project UN Member States, civil society organizations, as well as UN Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures referred to the HRMMUs findings and recommendations as a basis for assisting national institutions in addressing human rights violations. A recent independent evaluation of HRMMU programme found HRMMU to fill a unique role in Ukraine and HRMMUs information to be highly relevant to Ukrainian government and to national and international security, peace, and accountability mechanisms. Evaluation interviewees confirmed that HRMMU reports are widely used by the Government and Ukrainian civil society actors to facilitate their human rights efforts. As the lead UN agency in terms of civilian casualty recording and related advocacy worldwide, OHCHR/HRMMU has played a crucial role to monitor civilian casualties and other harm in Ukraine. HRMMU has conducted this function since 2014 and has been the only international entity to continue record civilian casualties consistently throughout the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation. By providing credible and timely monitoring, analysis and reporting on civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure HRMMU provides a public record with reliable data on civilian casualties and harm. HRMMUs comprehensively disaggregated data on civilian casualties2 is relied by the international community for reliable information regarding the human cost of the conflict and is regularly quoted at the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council and were used by various international actors, such as the European Council, various Governments and State agencies, the UN country team in Ukraine and international media. This demonstrates the significant impact and relevance of HRMMUs work in providing accurate and reliable information on the human cost of the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, by being present at conflict-affected communities, analysing emerging patterns and trends about the types, locations, victims, and perpetrators of violations and conducting related advocacy, HRMMU provides an early warning about the wars impact on protection of human rights and contributes to heightened awareness about the conflicts human cost, helping to shape the informed decision-making process by the relevant stakeholders. Despite the operational and security challenges posed by the Russian Federation armed attack during project implementation in February 2022, HRMMU has maintained an uninterrupted presence in affected areas and has continued to monitor and document IHRL and IHL violations resulting from the increased hostilities. OHCHR is one of the very few UN agencies in Ukraine which is able to visit areas near the front line designated as very high risk, and the only UN agency that has been cleared to do so for other purposes than providing critical life-saving humanitarian assistance. HRMMU regularly visited conflict-affected areas to document civilian casualties, assessed extent of damage to civilian infrastructure, and document instances of war crimes, conflict-related sexual violence, and other violations of IHRL and IHL. By maintaining a visible presence in conflict-affected areas through strategic placement of sub-offices and frequent missions to high-risk and very high-risk areas HRMMU was able to access the population and all levels of authority, provide a measure of international attention reminding the perpetrators of their human rights obligations, and bolster human rights protection at the local level. HRMMU presence also supported critical referrals, early warning mechanisms, and informed life-saving advocacy and programming of other UN and humanitarian actors. Its presence also allows the Mission to be accessible to rights holders in remote communities and reach out to the most marginalized parts of society to build the confidence of the local population, civil society, and human rights defenders. Based on its human rights fact-finding, monitoring, documentation, and verification activities with various stakeholders, including victims and witnesses of IHRL and IHL violations, authorities, civil society, and international partners, HRMMU published a variety of information products. In 2021-23, HRMMU issued 18 periodic and thematic reports, one flash report and four briefing papers containing concrete recommendations to stakeholders on addressing identified trends in human rights violations. HRMMU recommendations outline concrete follow-up actions to address identified concerns, prevent violations and mitigate emerging risks. In addition, the Mission produced 227 updates on topical human rights issues and 4 early warning notes, raising awareness of the human rights situation in Ukraine, facilitating factually correct information for decision-making, and guiding the design and implementation of human rights interventions of a variety of actors. To maximize outreach, many of these were made available in Ukrainian, Russian and English, presented at meetings with national stakeholders and the international community, disseminated in the regions via HRMMUs field offices, publicly presented to the press, and released in social media and on the OHCHR website.3 HRMMU also provided briefings on its findings to a wide variety of stakeholders in Ukraine and abroad. HRMMU has consistently monitored and documented human rights issues in Ukraine, with a particular focus on IHRL and IHL violations resulting from the ongoing conflict. In the project period HRMMU documented 2,288 distinct cases of human rights violations perpetrated in Ukraine (187 in 2021; 950 in 2022 and 1151 in 2023) based on 6,576 interviews (2,321 in 2021; 1,719 in 2022; 2,536 in 2023) with 3,333 women and 3,243 men. HRMMU interviewed victims, witnesses, local authorities, and other relevant actors to collect information and evidence about alleged human rights violations and identify human rights concerns. Registered cases contain verified information about the details, context, alleged violation(s), alleged perpetrator(s), the victim(s), and relevant human rights analysis, disaggregated by sex, age, geographic location and other parameters. By recording all cases of human rights violations brought to its attention in its Human Rights Database, HRMMU keeps a reliable record of human rights violations happening in Ukraine and enables analysis of trends and early warning, as well as further accountability measures. To achieve this HRMMU conducted 570 in person field trips to conflict-affected areas including very high-risk zones. Many of these monitoring missions were directed to communities near the front line, shelled areas and areas that underwent missile attacks to document civilian harm caused by the conflict, verify civilian casualties and assess extent of damage to civilian infrastructure. In addition, HRMMU made frequent visits to areas previously occupied by the Russian Federation that Ukraine had regained control over to document cases of egregious human rights violations, among others summary executions, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention, and conflict-related sexual violence. HRMMU also made 137 visits to detention facilities and POW camps to identify issues in treatment or POWs and alleged IHL and IHRL violations. Furthermore, HRMMU visited 117 care institutions, shelters, IDP centres and hospitals and monitored 226 trials in person to strengthen respect for fair trial rights in conflict-related cases. HRMMU leveraged its experience in remote monitoring gained from reporting on the situation in occupied Crimea since 2014, as well as its unique mandate through UN General Assembly Resolution 78/221 to expand its remote monitoring of the Ukrainian territory that came under Russian occupation after its 2022-armed attack. HRMMU is the only international organization systematically reporting on the human rights situation in occupied territory. A variety of methods were utilised to monitor human rights in these inaccessible areas, including gathering first-hand information from victims and witnesses through regular visits to communities near the front line and previously occupied areas where Ukraine has regained control, establishing, and maintaining contact with residents and exiled authorities, and talking to victims and witnesses, including released POWs, who returned to Ukrainian controlled territory. To better access persons and information from the Russian[1]occupied territory HRMMU established a remote monitoring team based in Chisinau, Moldova and sent a roving team to interview persons crossing from Russia to Ukraine through the only open crossing point in Sumy region. These direct contacts were complemented by open-source monitoring in accordance with OHCHR methodology for human rights monitoring and documentation of hard-to[1]reach or inaccessible areas. As a result of these efforts, HRMMU was able to systematically cover the human rights situation in Crimea and other occupied areas in its public periodic reports. By bringing to light violations happening in territory occupied by the Russian Federation, and keeping global attention on these violations, HRMMU provides some protection against future human rights violations and creates a foundation for accountability for perpetrators and remedy for victims. Throughout the project period HRMMU persistently sought and continues to advocate for access to areas of Ukraine under the occupation by the Russian Federation, including Crimea. HRMMU functioned as the primary actor providing authoritative records of civilian casualties related to the conflict in Ukraine. HRMMU recorded and corroborated 110 civilian casualties (25 killed and 85 injured) that occurred in 2021. Between 24 February and 30 April 2024, OHCHR has verified 32,100 civilian casualties caused by the conflict, including the death of 10,946 civilians, among which were 3,217 women and 608 children and 21,154 injured civilians, including 5,062 women and 1385 children.4 Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes. The recording of civilian casualties serves three major objectives: a) to establish a baseline for measuring the impact of hostilities on civilians to enable better protection; b) to ensure accountability for IHL and IHRL violations that resulted in civilian casualties; and c) to promote remedy and reparation for the victims. HRMMU released regular updates on civilian casualties and several ad hoc updates, including at the request of Sweden and EU Member States. Civilian casualty data collected by HRMMU helps to provide an evidentiary foundation for promotion of adequate, effective, prompt, and appropriate remedies and reparations, including reparation to civilian victims of both the Russian Federations full-scale armed attack against Ukraine and the predating 8-year conflict in the East of Ukraine. This is especially important for those injured and for the families of those killed. HRMMU also continued to follow and corroborate reports on damage to civilian objects and the effects of the destruction of civilian objects on the human rights of the Ukrainian population. Since the beginning of the armed attack by the Russian Federation on 24 February, HRMMU has documented damage to or destruction of 1144 educational facilities and 494 medical facilities. Furthermore, HRMMU has been monitoring the human rights effects of the missile, rocket, and loitering munitions strikes on critical civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, hydroelectric power stations, and agricultural infrastructure across Ukraine by Russian armed forces during 2022-2023. These strikes have restricted civilians' access to water, electricity, heating, and essential communications for varying periods. Since the Russian Federation armed attack in 2022, HRMMU has documented a wide range of severe human rights violations, including cases of arbitrary killings, summary executions, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, and forced transfers of civilians. Through systematic documentation and verification of allegations of CRSV since the beginning of the armed attack by the Russian Federation, HRMMU has documented over 270 cases of CRSV, the majority of which were perpetrated by members of Russian armed forces, law enforcement officials or penitentiary staff. The majority of new CRSV cases are perpetrated in the context of detention against both civilian detainees and POWs, with many cases amounting to torture as violence is used to obtain information, extract confessions, punish, intimidate, or humiliate the detainees. HRMMU also recorded the arbitrary detention of 1,184 civilians (1019 men, 154 women, 10 boys, and 1 girl) by Russian authorities in the occupied territory, and more than 450 cases of summary executions and lethal attacks directed against individual civilians between 24 February 2022 and end of 2023. Around 90 per cent of former civilian detainees interviewed by HRMMU informed that they had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment during detention. Since the beginning of the RF armed attack, HRMMU work on torture and ill-treatment expanded to cover the issues of treatment of prisoners of war (POW) on both sides, to closely monitor places of internment of POWs and instances of torture and ill-treatment. Through 699 interviews with POWs HRMMU monitoring has highlighted a pattern of degrading and ill-treatment of POWs held by the Russian Federation during capture, internment, and transfer. Some key issues reported during interviews with Russian POWs under the power of Ukraine on the other hand included beatings and torture during capture, no contact with relatives, application of article 110 (illegal trespassing of Ukrainian border carrying arms), and the exchange of Russian POWs who could have committed war crimes. HRMMU paid close attention to the impact of the war on civic space and monitored the physical safety of human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists, and other media workers, highlighting security risks faced by media workers in Ukraine. The implementation of martial law, derogations from human rights treaties, military actions across Ukraine and concerns regarding national security have reduced the space for exercising fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of peaceful assembly, association, opinion and expression, and media. Human rights defenders - especially women human rights defenders as well as journalists, and media professionals continue to be targeted by attacks, threats, acts of intimidation, and hate speech with little accountability for these attacks. In areas occupied by the Russian Federation, HRMMU documented use of violence and repression and suppressing of peaceful protests, restricting of free expression, imposing strict controls over movements, as well as conducting frequent searches and invasive collection of personal data, contributing to a pervasive climate of fear. Russian armed forces used force to quash peaceful protests and assemblies, took over common means to collect, disseminate and receive information to restrict freedom of expression, and threatened, arrested, and subjected to enforced disappearance individuals expressing pro-Ukrainian views. In Crimea, very limited expression of critical views is allowed, with further restrictions put in place since the Russian Federation armed attack. HRMMU has documented, for example, multiple cases of persons prosecuted for 'discrediting RF armed forces' and human rights NGOs' websites being blocked. HRMMU has been closely monitoring the effects of the conflict on the social, economic, and cultural rights of persons and groups in vulnerable situations. HRMMU emphasized the importance of addressing the human rights situation of minorities and groups in vulnerable or marginalized situations as a cross-cutting priority. In the reporting period HRMMU continued to monitor and raise human rights concerns regarding the impact of the conflict on women, older persons, persons living in homelessness, minorities such as Roma, persons with psychosocial disabilities. Since the beginning of the armed attack against Ukraine, the Mission has identified emerging risk factors for persons with disabilities and older persons and made several recommendations to duty bearers for mitigating risks and impact of the conflict on older persons in its briefing note on this issue. HRMMU also raised concerns that the volatile security situation and other factors restrict freedom of movement to and from regions occupied by Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups, reducing civilians' access to medical assistance, social protection, and other basic services in Ukrainian-controlled territory. HRMMU also constantly monitors the wars impact on the right of national minorities and freedom and religion and successfully led early warning action to bring attention to risk of social tensions and possible violence associated with tensions between religious communities and hate speech against minority groups. HRMMUs extensive monitoring work was reflected in reliable and unbiased public reports and analytical assessments on human rights violations in Ukraine, informing all relevant national and international duty-bearers, decision-makers, civil society, and other stakeholders of the human rights situation in Ukraine. During 2021-23 OHCHR/HRMMU issued 19 comprehensive public reports with recommendations to stakeholders and over 230 notes and updates analysing imperative human rights issues. In addition, HRMMU drafted two Secretary-Generals reports on Crimea, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 74/168. HRMMU reports increased availability of up to date and accurate information on the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine resulting from the Russian Federation armed attack. They also provide recommendations to the Governments of Ukraine and Russia as well as the international community to address the identified challenges. HRMMU's findings and analysis have been made widely available to ensure a coherent and prompt response to human rights violations in Ukraine. By sharing its reports with relevant national and international stakeholders and publishing its information products in multiple languages (English, Ukrainian, and Russian), HRMMU aims for wide dissemination. Periodic reports were launched with a live-streamed press statement by the Head of the Mission, translated simultaneously into Ukrainian and sign language, and followed by a launch event for civil society and representatives of embassies and international organizations. This engendered wide media coverage of international and national media, with over 8,190 international and national media articles, inclusive of large international outlets, such as Washington Post, BBC, CNN, and Reuters, referring to the Missions findings during the project period contributing to the dissemination of HRMMUs findings and heightened awareness of the conflicts human toll. Briefings on findings were regularly provided to a wide variety of stakeholders in Ukraine and abroad, including representatives of the diplomatic community in Kyiv. Additionally, HRMMU participated in relevant events and discussions to raise awareness about its findings and recommendations. As part of the project HRMMU issued 13 periodic reports and updates on the human rights situation in Ukraine, covering the human rights situation in Ukraine for the period from 1 August 2020 to 30 November 2023: - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 August 2020 - 31 January 2021 - Update on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 February 30 April 2021 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 February - 31 July 2021 - Update on the Human Rights Situation in Ukraine, 1 August 31 October 2021 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 August 2021 31 January 2022 - Update on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 24 February 26 March 2022 - The situation of human rights in Ukraine in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation, 24 February to 15 May 2022 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 February to 31 July 2022 - Update on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 August 31 October 2022 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 August 2022 31 January 2023 - HRMMU update in the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 February 30 April 2023 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 February 31 July 2023 - Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 1 August to 30 November 2023 These reports focused on topical human rights issues in Ukraine, providing credible and independent information about human rights, bringing attention to the most serious and overlooked violations, identifying trends and providing early warning and recommendations to address identified violations. They cover a range of human rights violations both in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine and in territory of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, including Crimea. Since February 2022, HRMMU/OHCHR reports have focused on violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law that have been perpetrated during the ongoing armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the impact of hostilities on the civilian population. Analysed topics include: conduct of hostilities and civilian casualties, impact of hostilities on civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, educational and medical objects and housing, impact of the conflict on persons in situations of vulnerability, killings and summary executions of civilians and POWs, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of civilians, conflict related sexual violence, treatment of POWs and persons hors de combat, fair trial rights in conflict-related cases, including application of the law of Ukraine on collaboration activities, restrictions on fundamental freedoms and civic space, including restrictions placed on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and relocation and evacuation of civilians. In addition, the reports bring to light violations specific to Russian-occupied territory, including forced transfers and filtration processes, torture and ill-treatment of civilian detainees by Russian security forces and affiliated armed groups, application of Russian legislation in occupied territory, and dismantling of fundamental rights and freedoms, including allegations of unlawful killings, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of representatives of local authorities, journalists, and civil society activists. The reports also analyse the human rights impact of significant developments, such as the illegal annexation of Donetsk, Kerson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia districts by the Russian Federation in September 2022, Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure during winter 2022-23, and the destruction of the Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant in June 2023. Relevant issues included in 2021 reports encompass impact of the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the civilian population, including civilian casualties and damage to civilian objects and economic hardship affecting the civilian population living near the contact line, impact of Covid-19 related restrictions on people in vulnerable situations and on the freedom of movement, lack of accountability for conflict[1]related torture and ill-treatment, concerns with administration of justice in conflict-related cases, restrictions on civic space and attacks against journalists, human rights defenders, and other civil society actors, discrimination and violence targeting individuals belonging to minority groups, especially Roma, forced recruitment into armed groups in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics, and continued human rights and humanitarian law violations in Crimea, such as torture and ill-treatment, violations of fair trial rights, restriction of freedom peaceful assembly, and arbitrary arrest and detention. In addition to periodic reports, the Mission produced five in-depth thematic reports that include comprehensive analysis of a specific pertinent human rights issue: Detention of civilians in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, 24 February 2022 23 May 2023 On 27 June 2023, HRMMU published a thematic report on detention of civilians in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The report raises concerns the use of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances during the armed conflict in Ukraine and gives recommendations to strengthen protection of the rights to liberty and security of persons and ensure effective remedies for victims. The aim of the report is to contribute to comprehensive accountability for violations of IHL and IHRL, to ensure justice for victims, strengthen rule of law and contribute to future peace and reconciliation. The report documents 864 individual cases (763 men, 94 women and 7 boys) of arbitrary detention perpetrated by the Russian Federation between 24 February 2022 and 23 May 2023, many of which also amounted to enforced disappearances. In the cases documented by HRMMU, more than 91 per cent of civilian detainees held by the Russian Federation described subjection to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence. In addition, 77 civilians (72 men and 5 women) were summarily executed while arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation. The report also raises concerns over the amendments to Ukrainian criminal code, which give Ukrainian authorities wider discretion to detain persons perceived to pose a threat to security. These amendments, combined with practices employed by Ukrainian security forces, have also resulted in an environment conducive to arbitrary detention. In addition, the law on collaboration activities adopted on 3 March 2022, which introduced criminal liability for collaborating with an aggressor State, criminalizes a wide range of conduct, potentially including conduct which can be lawfully compelled by the occupying power under IHL. The head of Mission presented the report in a news conference in Geneva. The report gained wide international visibility with over 960 media articles referring to it in multiple languages across the world. Treatment of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine: 24 February 2022 23 February 2023. The report, issued 24 March 2023 and covering the period 24 February 2022 to 23 February 2023, examines international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) violations in relation to the treatment of prisoners of war (POW) by both sides of the armed conflict. It examines POW treatment during all stages of captivity from capture through internment and repatriation, as well as IHRL and IHL concerns in relation to the criminal prosecution of POWs. The report identifies patterns of IHL and IHRL violations in relation to the treatment of POWs by Ukraine and the Russian Federation, many of which amount to gross or serious violations and may constitute war crimes. Based on interviews with 432 POWs (407 men and 25 women), the report corroborates a widespread pattern of degrading and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs at every stage of internment by the Russian Federation. In addition, it documents summary executions, cases of torture and ill-treatment and violations related to criminal proceedings against POWs on both sides. Through recommendations to both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the report seeks enhanced protection for POWs and improvement of their conditions of internment, regardless of their affiliation, and for all perpetrators responsible for violations of the rights of POWs to face due accountability. The report drew attention of duty bearers and international community on the issue and established a firm base of factual information for OHCHR and other actors to base their advocacy on. The report drew both national and international media attention, with comments issued by the Ukrainian ombudsperson and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine and international media outlets such as CNN, BBC and ABC Australia interviewing the Head of Mission about the reports findings. Killings of civilians: summary executions and attacks on individual civilians in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions in the context of the Russian Federations armed attack against Ukraine HRMMU thematic report on killings of civilians, released on 7 December 2022 addresses civilian killings, encompassing summary executions and attacks on individual civilians, that occurred in parts of Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine between 24 February and 6 April 2022.These areas were under military control of the Russian Federation during that period. The reports purpose is to contribute to victims right to truth and accountability, as well as to deter future violations of IHRL, IHL, and criminal law in the context of the ongoing international armed conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, the report advocates for enhanced efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and to provide victims with remedy and reparations. The report describes summary executions and attacks on individual civilians in 102 villages and towns in the three regions between 24 February and 6 April 2022, resulting in the death of 441 civilians (341 men, 72 women, 20 boys and 8 girls). The acts in question were committed by Russian armed forces controlling these areas. Information available to HRMMU indicates that the total number of cases in the three regions during the reporting period is likely considerably higher. The report finds that by 31 October 2022, the parties to the conflict had made little progress in holding the direct perpetrators and their commanders to account. This highlights the need for continued monitoring, reporting, and advocacy for justice and reparations for victims of such egregious human rights violations. Civic space and fundamental freedoms in Ukraine, 1 November 2019 31 October 2021 The second thematic report on civic space, covering the period between 1 November 2019 and 31 October 2021, was launched 8 December in three languages. It analysed concerns such as freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the situation of human rights defenders across Ukraine, including in territory controlled by self-proclaimed republics and Crimea. It also offered recommendations to the government, as well as donors and development partners on how to address these issues. Recommendations from this report aim to improve the situation with civic space and fundamental freedoms, empower civil society and encourage public participation in Ukraine, with the report itself serving as early warning on human rights concerns that risk amplifying tensions and jeopardizing situation of people in Ukraine. The report was widely shared with all relevant national stakeholders, general public, media, and international community. Thematic report on Arbitrary detention, torture, and ill treatment in the context of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, 2014-2021 OHCHR report on Arbitrary detention, torture and ill treatment in the context or armed conflict in eastern Ukraine was released on 2 July 2021. The report examines the following aspects: The scale of detention in the context of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine by Government actors, armed groups, and other actors in the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk peoples republic and the self-proclaimed Luhansk peoples republic from 14 April 2014 to 30 April 2021. The prevalence and patterns of conflict-related arbitrary detention, including secret and incommunicado detention. The prevalence and patterns of conflict-related torture and ill-treatment, including conflict[1]related sexual violence. Accountability for these violations, including remedy and reparation to the victims. The report also presented two emblematic case studies of conflict-related arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment, one in the Kharkiv regional department of the Security Service of Ukraine and the second in the Izoliatsiia detention facility in armed group-controlled Donetsk. The report was widely shared with all relevant national stakeholders, public, media and international community. It received significant attention, being mentioned in over 50 media articles, including at least 8 by international media outlets. This widespread coverage underscored the importance of addressing human rights violations in the context of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and the need for accountability, remedy, and reparation for the victims. As per its mandate through General Assembly resolutions 75/192, 76/179, and 77/229, HRMMU drafted reports on the human rights situation in Crimea. In the project period HRMMU prepared three Reports of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine and three interim reports. The reports were presented at General Assemblys seventy-sixth, seventy-seventh and seventy-eight sessions and interim reports were presented to the Human Rights Council. Issues identified in the reports include cases of torture and ill-treatment by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and other law enforcement entities, deplorable detention conditions, unjustified house searches and raids, forced conscription into Russian armed forces, as well as impunity for torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances. In addition, the reports indicate lack of fair trial guarantees, including individuals arrested being denied access to their lawyers and deliberate hindrance and harassment of lawyers who defended rights of clients in high profile cases. Crimean Tatars and, after February 2024, citizens who have expressed statements and actions in support of Ukraine or in opposition to the Russian Federation armed attack against Ukraine have especially been affected. In addition, the reports describe the imposition and retroactive application of the legal system of the Russian Federation, the imposition of Russian Federation citizenship to Crimean residents and the transfer of prisoners from Crimea to the Russian Federation against international humanitarian law. The Russian Federation also severely restricted freedom of expression, religion or belief and assembly. Additionally, the Mission produced a range of targeted information products to complement its reports and bring attention to pertinent human rights issues: Attack on Funeral Reception in Hroza This flash report analyses the 5 October 2023 attack on a café in Hroza, a village in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, which killed 59 people who had gathered following a reburial ceremony of a local member of the Ukrainian armed forces. It also contains 6 recommendations to the Russian Federation. The report was widely commended by Ukrainian Government officials, NGOs, and the international community in Kyiv. A confidential briefing note on human rights concerns in relation to the situation of Orthodox communities in Ukraine The briefing note was shared 20 June 2023 in physical copy with key partners on the issue, including the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine. Its purpose was to raise early warning on the tensions between Orthodox communities in Ukraine and provide a basis for evidence-based bilateral advocacy on the issue. Briefing paper on the Human rights situation of older persons in Ukraine in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation On 24 May 2023, HRMMU launched a briefing paper on older persons. The briefing paper details HRMMUs findings on the deterioration of human rights of older persons as a result of the armed attack by the Russian Federation, in particular rights to life, social security, adequate housing, and health. The paper found that the armed attack by the Russian Federation has increased vulnerability of older persons and disproportionately jeopardised their enjoyment of rights to life and security. The Mission launched the note in an online event, attended by more than 70 participants, including representatives of local authorities, humanitarian and development NGOs, civil society, and Embassies. The UN Independent Expert on older persons and two representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy gave statements at the event stressing the importance of the paper. The launch was accompanied by two video-stories and a press-release, which was picked up by CNN, the Guardian, and other media. A confidential early warning note on Hate speech and incitement to discrimination, violence, and hostility against the Ukrainian population in state-owned media in the Russian Federation. The note was shared on 21 April 2022 with the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention on Genocide to provide early warning on pattern of hate speech and incitement to discrimination in the context of gross violations of IHRL and serious violations of IHL. Briefing note on Human rights situation of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in Ukraine The briefing note, issued on 18 April 2022, presents the results of HRMMU monitoring, describing human rights violations and concerns affecting persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in Ukraine and providing recommendations. The focus is on two major concerns affecting the rights of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities: institutionalization and denial of legal capacity. The briefing note was shared with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to support its review of Ukraines implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as with relevant government officials. Confidential briefing note on groups that promote violence On 26 November 2021HRMMU shared a confidential Briefing note on groups that promote violence with UN partners in Ukraine, individual ambassadors and (a less detailed version) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The briefing note summarizes human rights concerns arising from the groups actions and presents recommendations how to mitigate the groups negative impact on the human rights situation in Ukraine. The note was also used to advocate for Government to dissociate itself from any groups that promote violence and to condemn their violent acts and hate speech, which would also help to remove this basis for discrediting Ukraine in disinformation campaigns and hybrid warfare. Briefing paper on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in Ukraine In continuation of the series of briefing notes on the impact of the pandemic on persons in vulnerable situations in Ukraine, HRMMU released a note on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers on 6 April 2021. The note examined the impact of the pandemic and response to it on the rights of healthcare workers, of which 83 per cent are women. It looked in particular at the rights to just and favourable conditions of work, to social security and effective participation, and how their situation affects essential health services, and contained recommendations to the Government and local authorities to this end. HRMMU held an online public launch for the note, which convened 170 participants, including from regional and local authorities, NGOs, diplomats, and healthcare workers. Briefing paper on enforced disappearances in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation On 31 March 2021 HRMMU released a briefing paper on enforced disappearances in Crimea. The paper provided details of all enforced disappearances documented by HRMMU since 2014 and called on the Russian Federation to provide relatives of the disappeared with effective access to information on any action taken and any progress achieved in investigations. Confidential early warning note on threats and expressions of hatred towards individuals who publicly criticized the law On supporting the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the State language On 12 February 2021 HRMMU shared this early warning communication which detailed its key concerns, including the risk of possible escalation of tensions leading to cases of violence, lack of condemnation by authorities, and offered recommendations to prevent any escalation. The note was shared with the National Police, the Ombudsperson, the Language Commissioner, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and key international partners. HRMMU has been proactive in producing regular and ad-hoc briefings and updates for both national and international stakeholders to ensure information about human rights violations in Ukraine is available and acted on. In response to the escalating conflict in Ukraine, HRMMU worked diligently to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the impact of hostilities on civilians. By issuing 164 updates on conflict-related civilian casualties, HRMMU has kept the international and local humanitarian community updated on civilian harm of the conflict and supported evidence-based decision-making. These updates, issued in English, Ukrainian and Russian, contain numbers of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure caused by the conflict, as well as analysis on causes and trends. Furthermore, HRMMU provided partners with regular human rights situation reports (44 in total) to ensure the availability of reliable information for decision-making and evidence-based guidance of humanitarian response efforts. HRMMU was the first international entity to provide a comprehensive update on the human rights situation in the country during the first month of armed conflict (issued on 26 March). Prior to the start of the armed attack, HRMMU issued bi-annual hate speech compilations and updates on the human rights impact of Covid-19 and related prevention and mitigation measures to guide the international community in addressing human rights concerns and gaps in their response efforts and in rebuilding better systems. HRMMU's findings, reports and analysis have played a vital role in advocating for improvements in the human rights of people in Ukraine. The Mission has focused on various issues such as the protection of civilians in conflict, increased accountability for grave human rights violations, effective policies against discrimination, and increased freedom of expression. HRMMUs reports and analysis provided valuable information and recommendations to stakeholders, and formed the basis for advocacy by HRMMU and other actors to support development of policies and measures that are in line with international human rights standards. HRMMU supported Government of Ukraine to address systematic human rights concerns, fulfil its human rights obligations and advance promotion of human rights in Ukraine through support to key policies and strategies. One focus aimed at continued support to the National Recovery Plan, supporting inclusion of human rights standards and implementation of human rights protection mechanisms, including providing remedy and reparation for civilian victims of the conflict, strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ombudsperson's Office, combating discrimination, protecting national minorities, and promoting human rights education. HRMMU actively contributed to relevant working groups set up to develop the plan providing advice and recommendations, drafted sections on remedy and reparation for civilian victims, and provided comments on the draft plan. HRMMUs involvement reinforced the plans commitment to human rights and integration of considerations relating to national minorities. HRMMU's advocacy efforts were also instrumental in securing the adoption of the Strategy for the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts for 2023-2030. HRMMU advocated with the Coordination Headquarters on the Treatment of POWs, Ukrainian Armed Forces, National and Security Council, the Ministry of Defence, and the Parliament for the adoption of the strategy and committed to providing technical assistance in drafting its action plan. HRMMU provided advice to Ukrainian legislators and key stakeholders to help develop legislation that increasingly addresses, prevents, and reduces human rights violations, paving the way for strategies, policies and conflict-responses that consistently integrate human rights protection. HRMMU actively advocated for the improvement and adoption of the draft laws in its public reports, public debates, and through notes shared with relevant Parliamentary Committees and the Speaker of Parliament, as well as through posts published on HRMMU social media channels. Key successes include improvements in the legislation on torture, which now provides better accountability for torture and aligns with international standards. HRMMU also successfully engaged with the Ukrainian government on the rights of persons coming to Government controlled territory from occupied territories. For instance, after longstanding HRMMU advocacy, on 28 February 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers registered draft law 9069, which introduces an administrative procedure for recognizing births, deaths, marriages, and divorces based on documentation issued by the occupation authorities. The establishment of an administrative procedure to replace the previous judicial one for the registration of civil status acts that took place in the occupied territory is crucial for facilitating the exercise of various rights, including equal access to public services, for persons coming from the occupied territory. Another example is the July 2021 repeal of legislation that designated individuals from Crimea and residents of mainland Ukraine with a Crimean address in their passport as 'non-resident taxpayers.' Advocacy by HRMMU in coordination with other stakeholders led the Ukrainian Parliament to repeal this legislation, which had contributed to discriminatory exclusion of Crimean residents from the full spectrum of banking services in mainland Ukraine and had created significant obstacles for maintaining bank accounts and conducting financial transactions. The cancellation of the 'non[1]resident taxpayer' status has a significant impact on the equal access of people originating from Crimea to public services. HRMMU actively supported the work on drafting amendments to the Ukrainian Law on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, contributing to discussions that safeguarded the independence of the Ukrainian Ombudsperson's Office and ensuring the Ombudsperson's dismissal process aligns with international standards. With such advocacy, the Mission was able to directly influence the legislative process, underscoring HRMMU's commitment to promoting accountable and rights-respecting institutions. HRMMU also provided an analytical note on the draft law on the application and compliance with provisions of international humanitarian law in Ukraine and shared it with the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, the Parliament, and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine. The note contains seven specific recommendations aimed at aligning the draft law with international standards. HRMMU also shared its expertise and advice on aligning the draft law with international standards to the interagency commission on the application and compliance of humanitarian law in Ukraine. Furthermore, the Mission's analysis of law on compensation to civilians whose housing was damaged or destroyed after 24 February 2022, as well as development of the first draft position by the Mission and advocacy on this law and the by-law, culminated in its adoption by the Parliament. HRMMU conducted determined advocacy on the law on collaboration activities. Since its adoption in March 2022, HRMMU has been concerned about its vague and overly broad provisions that risks criminalising virtually all employment or business activities in occupied territory and conduct which individuals are compelled by the occupying Power to carry out and which might be essential for or benefit the normal life of the population of the occupied territory. Advocacy initiatives taken by HRMMU in 2023 include contributing to the parliamentary group tasked with drafting the law, sharing an analytical note including guidance on aligning the law with international standards with key stakeholders, including the Committee on Law Enforcement of the Parliament of Ukraine and representatives of the international community, and publishing an article highlighting critical gaps in the laws compliance with international IHL and IHRL standards and its adverse influence on social cohesion and prospects of reintegration on a prominent Ukrainian online discussion platform for criminal lawyers, JustTalk5 . In addition, HRMMU relentlessly worked to forge coalitions with international stakeholders, including Council of Europe and the EU, aiming to drive effective advocacy for reforms in the collaboration law to bring it in line with international standards. A limited success was achieved in October 2023, when a new draft law registered in the Parliament aiming to improve effectiveness of investigation and punishment of crimes against national security contained amended provisions to the law on collaboration activities. These amendments effectively address some of the issues that HRMMU had raised in its advocacy, such as narrowing the scope of prohibited commercial activities. HRMMU will continue its persistent efforts to align the rest of the provisions with international standards. Furthermore, HRMMUs consistent public engagement on the collaboration law has opened spaces for other actors to raise their concerns. In an independent evaluation of HRMMUs work in the period 2021-23, both representatives of the Government and civil society organizations highlighted that HRMMU being able to go public on sensitive issues such as collaboration has played a significant role for their ability to raise and advocate for these issues in their own work. HRMMU also had a significant role in working to revise legislation that has discriminatory provisions and does not align with international human rights standards. On 8 December 2023, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted amendments to several legislative acts concerning rights of national minorities, implementing a number of recommendations jointly advocated for by HRMMU and partners. Since the passing of law no. 8224 On the national minorities (communities) of Ukraine in November 2022, HRMMU had been concerned that the law had discriminatory elements. HRMMU prepared an in[1]depth analysis of the law, an disseminated this to key stakeholders. Throughout 2023 HRMMU built coalitions with the Council of Europe Venice Commission, the European Union, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, and relevant embassies to advocate to the Office of the President and relevant government bodies on how to bring the legislation in line with international standards. As a result of this advocacy, the Parliament adopted amendments, which improve linguistic rights of national minorities in the fields of education (both secondary and tertiary), advertising, distribution of election campaign materials, holding public or artistic events in minority language, bookstores and publishing, and media. Although a positive development, concerns remain with the new laws differential treatment between national minorities speaking an official language of the EU and national minorities, whose languages are not official languages of the EU. HRMMU also played a role in 2021 in the withdrawal of the law on Ombudsperson that provided for grounds of dismissal incompatible with the Paris Principles as well as a draft law on transitional justice, whose definition and approach on transitional justice did not correspond to UN standards, and which was not victim[1]oriented or gender-sensitive HRMMU had a pivotal role in changing national authorities understanding of rights of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. In June 2023, the Ministry of Social Policy updated the official Ukrainian translation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to incorporate the right to recognition of legal agency. The previous translation excluded this crucial provision, stripping away the legal agency of individuals with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. The change to align the translation with the original text is a crucial first step to the reform of Ukrainian legislation on legal capacity thereby promoting persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities access to their full set of rights and entitlements associated with participation in the life of society. HRMMU drove this change by translating into Ukrainian CRDPs General Comment 1 on article 12, which centres on equal recognition before the law in 2021. HRMMU translation, along with a note on terminology elucidating the legal lexicon and the discrepancies with the Convention's official translation was disseminated to key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Social Policy, the Ombudsperson, the Ministry of Healthcare, Parliament, the Working Group on Reform of Civil Legislation, and various NGOs. HRMMU also engaged government officials and NGOs in discussions on the issue by organizing a webinar6 and by having direct meetings with the Ministry of Social Policy, the Supreme Court, and NGOs. These discussions were geared towards understanding and strategizing the implementation of the CRPD. Additionally, HRMMU provided insights into an actionable roadmap for the Convention's roll-out. Further emphasizing the issue's significance, HRMMU incorporated recommendations in the "Briefing Note on the Human Rights Situation of Persons with Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities," published in April 2022. In the beginning of the armed attack by Russia on February 24th, HRMMU provided assistance to national stakeholders engaged in the protection of persons with disabilities. This included collecting and sharing information on violations of the rights of persons with disabilities during emergency situations with national authorities, civil society, and international stakeholders, as well as making referrals. HRMMU met with government representatives, including the Government Commissioner on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy to discuss issues affecting persons with disabilities and older persons in the context of mandatory evacuations and access to healthcare, social protection, and housing. In May 2022, HRMMU attended a workshop on the protection and accommodation of persons with disabilities and older persons affected by the armed attack in Ukraine. The workshop was a joint initiative of the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons and the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. Participants, including representatives of both mandate holders, the Special Representative on IDP rights, and representatives of international and Ukrainian NGOs, discussed the adequacy of law and practice in place to protect these groups from hostilities and how these populations are treated, accommodated, and received in neighbouring and third countries. Before the Russian Federation armed attack in February 2022, HRMMU successfully advocated for improvements in freedom of movement across the contact line and administrative boundary line. On June 29, 2021, following HRMMU's advocacy, the Ukrainian Parliament temporarily suspended penalties for residents of armed-group-controlled territory (AGCT) traveling to government-controlled territory (GCT) through the Russian Federation. Due to the closure of several entry-exit crossing points and severe restrictions imposed by armed groups during quarantine, the only way for civilians to get to government-controlled territory was through territory of the Russian Federation. However, crossing the state border in areas not controlled by the government violates Ukrainian laws. The new draft law adopted by the Parliament lifted administrative liability, including fines, for violating this rule during the quarantine period or when entry-exit crossing points are closed, but only if civilians choose this way of traveling on certain humanitarian grounds. This has helped to alleviate the financial burden on civilians, especially since the majority of AGCT residents crossing the border are older women pensioners with low incomes. Additionally, the average time a pensioner spends in queues decreased from 13 hours to nine hours, as border guards spent less time drafting fine documentation. Through advocacy with judicial authorities and letters to courts HRMMU was able to improve remote access of observers, journalists, and human rights defenders to trials amidst Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2021, the High Court of Justice issued its unified recommendations for courts on safe operations during the quarantine. As a result of HRMMU advocacy these recommendations included broadcasting of court hearings that carry a significant public interest and provisions to allow journalists to attend court hearings when courtrooms allow for safe distancing. Furthermore in 11 occasions various courts livestreamed hearings after HRMMU direct request, which was praised by human rights defenders who were able to conduct remote monitoring. The High Court of Justice recommendations also incorporated HRMMU advise on the right to a trial without undue delay, including that courts should postpone hearings only in exceptional situations, where means to ensure the safety of parties to the proceedings, including video hearings are not available. The inclusion of these measures improved defendants access to a public trial and helped to fight impunity and corruption in judicial proceedings. This work was further acknowledged in 2023, when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court commended the Missions analysis on fair trial concerns of in absentia proceedings and assured the Missions recommendations continue to be considered. The Chief Justice noted the importance of HRMMUs continuous monitoring and documenting human rights violations and identifying gaps in national practices. HRMMU worked closely with the Ombudsperson's office, raising issues, coordinating advocacy, and referring cases, and building the Ombudsperson's office's capacity to respond to human rights violations. For example, in the autumn of 2021, HRMMU conducted three trainings for the personnel of the Ombudsperson's office together with UNDP. The aim of the trainings was to increase the capacity of the national human rights institution to interact with UN human rights treaty bodies, to use the findings of UN human rights mechanisms in their advocacy efforts, and to issue recommendations to the authorities to improve the human rights situation in Ukraine. HRMMU stressed the importance of applying a human rights-based approach and incorporating a gender perspective when elaborating reports to human rights mechanisms. HRMMU trained the Ombudsperson's personnel on ways to include a gender perspective in the initial stages of data collection, assessing the specific impact on women, men, boys, girls, and groups in vulnerable situations, and how to include gender in its submissions to human rights mechanisms. HRMMU also worked to ensure the Ombudsperson's office's independence by advocating for changes in provisions that provided for grounds for dismissal of the Ombudsperson incompatible with the Paris Principles in the amendments to the law on Ombudsperson. HRMMU expressed concerns about the abidance of a number of provisions of the draft law in a public roundtable on the law. The controversial draft law was withdrawn in February 2021. In November, the Ombudsperson confirmed in her letter that the controversial draft law No. 3312 was withdrawn due to joint efforts of civil society and international partners, including HRMMU. HRMMU advocacy and technical cooperation was essential for promotion of an inclusive society and prevention of discrimination and hate speech. Following long-standing HRMMU advocacy and UNCT engagement, the Government of Ukraine adopted a National Roma Strategy in July 2021. Subsequently, HRMMU led coordination of UNCT inputs for the Roma Strategy Action Plan. The majority of UNCT recommendations, such as the importance of collecting disaggregated data, launching an information campaign to encourage the Roma population to participate in the upcoming census, the need for capacity building of government authorities on non-discrimination, and the need for a state-wide awareness-raising campaign promoting Roma rights were included in the final draft of the Action Plan. In addition, UNCT recommendations on data collection were taken on board by the State Statistical Service. HRMMU's consistent advocacy for the official condemnation of hate speech incidents and the investigation of related criminal acts also contributed to the prevention of hate crimes. In several cases, hate crimes and violence were prevented due to HRMMU advocacy and timely preventive actions, including sharing concerns with the Ministry of Interior, National Police, and the Office of the Ombudsperson. For example, violence and escalation were prevented in Irpin following protests and hate speech inciting violence against the local Roma community. In addition, as a result of continuous and consistent joint advocacy by HRMMU, diplomatic corps, and civil society, HRMMU saw the progressive improvement of policing of peaceful LGBTI assemblies in big cities in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. HRMMU also built the capacity of the Ombudsperson's Office to monitor hate speech incidents and strengthened calls for investigation and prosecution, increasing the Office's public reaction to such incidents. Before the Russian Federation full-scale invasion, HRMMU was able to continue conducting in person interviews, field trips and advocacy interventions in armed group-controlled territory (AGCT) despite Covid-19 related restrictions placed by the de facto authorities. In 2021, operations in AGCT Luhansk were particularly restricted due to the registration requirements enforced by the de facto authorities. Nonetheless, HRMMU conducted over 251 interviews (164 with women, 86 with men) and documented cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and restrictions on freedom of movement. Based on this monitoring, HRMMU actively advocated with the armed groups on individual cases through written interventions, field visits, trial observations, meetings with actors under threat, interviews with former prisoners, and interventions with international organizations and NGOs for protection and referrals for humanitarian assistance. HRMMU held several meetings (both in person and remotely) with senior representatives of self[1]proclaimed republics to discuss the protection and promotion of human rights in armed group[1]controlled territory, including freedom of movement across the contact line in the context of Covid[1]19. Thanks to HRMMUs robust advocacy, confidential access to detainees in the armed group[1]controlled territory was granted for the first time in an extended period. On August 5th, 2021, the Head of HRMMU met with four persons detained in the context of the conflict in territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Luhansk Peoples Republic. The head of HRMMU also met with civilians injured because of hostilities in Berezivske, Holubivske, and Donetskyi, and visited Zolote to examine the damage to civilian infrastructure. The visit had potential to pave the way for similar access by other stakeholders, such as ICRC and other UN agencies, and to lead to concrete exchanges of information on the situation of individuals in custody in territory controlled by self-proclaimed republics and on general human rights concerns in the areas under their control. HRMMU, together with national and international partners, was able to successfully advocate for the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic to cancel the requirement for a DPR passport to cross the contact line. This requirement was affecting 14-18-year-old children from AGCT who wished to study in Government-controlled territory (GCT). Each year, an average of 1,600 children from AGCT entered GCT universities, and the DPR passport restrictions significantly affected their ability to do so. Advocacy with the self-proclaimed republics focused on access to conflict-related detainees, conditions of detention, and arbitrary detention in individual cases. For instance, the Head of HRMMU met with the chairperson of the DPR humanitarian committee, to discuss access to places of detention to conduct interviews with detainees and the possibility of conducting field visits far from the contact line to corroborate civilian casualties and shelling of civilian infrastructure that have occurred in the past. HRMMU also sent seven advocacy letters in 2021 to DPR ombudsperson Ms. Daria Morozova regarding cases of arbitrary and incommunicado detention and inadequate medical care for detainees. Additionally, HRMMU met with Ms. Morozova on several occasions to discuss the human rights situation on the ground, follow-up on recent cases of human rights violations, freedom of movement across the contact line, HRMMUs access to places of detention, and the missing person mechanism. HRMMU also held advocacy with Ms. Olga Kobtseva, the representative of the LPR in Minsk talks, on two occasions. The first meeting was to hand over copies of the report on the impact of COVID-19 on human rights in Ukraine, and the second was to discuss issues related to HRMMU's access to detainees, transfer of pre-conflict prisoners, and freedom of movement for civilians. The full-scale armed attack in February 2022 created further operational, access and safety challenges to the Mission's work in areas that are or have been under military control of the Russian Federation or affiliated armed groups. Since the Russian Federation armed attack, HRMMU is the only international organization systematically reporting on the human rights situation in occupied territory. HRMMU built on its extensive long-term experience on monitoring the situation in Crimea to expand its remote monitoring of the territory occupied since February 2022. The Mission continued to monitor these areas through remote interviews, interviews with persons who had left these areas for the Ukrainian-controlled territory and exchanged prisoners of war, and field trips when possible. To increase the reach of its monitoring, HRMMU established a dedicated remote monitoring team focused on documenting human rights violations in occupied territory and a roving presence in Sumy to meet with people newly arriving from the occupied territories. In addition, HRMMU actively reached out through humanitarian hubs and civil society organizations. By conducting interviews with recently released servicepersons, HRMMU was able to corroborate a pattern of ill-treatment and degrading treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war at every stage of internment by the servicemembers of the Russian Federation and affiliated armed groups. Similarly, HRMMU was able to bring to light that around 90 percent of civilian detainees held by the Russian Federation were subjected to torture or ill-treatment by interviewing released civilian detainees. Additionally, some Ukraine armed forces servicemembers interned in Donetsk provided testimony of torture and ill-treatment during interrogations to force them to confess, lack of access to legal counsel of their own choosing, and trial by visibly biased judges. Through its monitoring activities HRMMU was able to conduct 2,319 interviews (1,235 men and 1,084 women) in 2022-23 with sources who had direct knowledge of the human rights situation in occupied territory, including victims and witnesses of human rights violations. These interviews shed light on the scope of civilian suffering and patterns of IHRL and IHL violations in occupied territory. Identified issues include a pervasive climate of fear created through widespread violence and repression, which includes killings, torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, intimidation, suppression of peaceful protests, restricting free expression, imposing strict controls over movements, and conducting frequent searches and invasive collection of persona data. In addition, HRMMU found widespread subversion of Ukrainian systems of governance, administration, justice, and education and the imposition of Russian systems and legal frameworks, against IHL provisions regarding occupied territory. Additionally, Russian authorities carried out deliberate efforts to suppress expressions of Ukrainian cultural identity. These findings were elaborated in a specific report on human rights in occupied territory, published in March 2024. In addition, HRMMU included information about violations in occupied territory to all its periodic reports. By documenting and publicly reporting on these violations HRMMU paid a vital role in bringing these trends into the public attention, enabling international advocacy for actions to improve the situation. In addition, analysis of the situation in occupied territories by an independent, impartial organization feeds into Ukraines development of and implementation of victim-led transitional justice policies, contributing to these policies recognizing the context under which people made decisions and helping to restore their rights and reintegrate them. This will be important for social cohesion, transitional justice, and recovery. HRMMUs record of human rights violations is also extremely important for future accountability mechanisms, helping international courts with concurrent analysis of human rights trends, supporting victims clams to compensation mechanisms, and contributing to holding some individuals accountable for egregious offences. Another key component of the HRMMUs work was repeated advocacy on physical access to victims and witnesses of IHRL and IHL violations in territory controlled by Russian armed forces. In 2022, HRMMU continued to advocate with Russian-affiliated armed groups in Donetsk and Luhansk for respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law. For instance, in June, the Head of Mission held online meetings with the so-called ombudspersons of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic discussing HRMMU's operations in territory controlled by self-proclaimed republics, including HRMMUs access to prisoners of war and conflict[1]related detainees and to places of recent intense hostilities such as Mariupol. The Head of Mission also raised concerns about several individual cases, including the death sentence against three servicepersons of the Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk and OSCE staff detained in Donetsk and Luhansk. In July 2022, the Head of Mission held meetings with the 'ombudsperson' of the self[1]proclaimed Luhansk Peoples Republic, discussing a proposed mission to Luhansk and following up on several individual cases. As a result of this advocacy, the Mission was granted access to visit 12 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Luhansk pre-trial facilities in August. Although the Mission was not able to conduct confidential interviews, it was able to talk to prisoners of war and verify that they were alive. HRMMU diligently requested and will continue to advocate for access of HRMMU international monitors to the territory of Ukraine currently occupied by the Russian Federation and within the Russian Federation on cases relevant to its mandate. All necessary information (documented cases, reports) and recommendations have and will be shared with the Russian Federation. HRMMU sent 15 advocacy letters to actors in Luhansk and Donetsk, raising concerns over arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and observance of rights during the detention of civilians, as well as access to Ukrainian POWs held in territory under their control. Additionally, on May 7th, 2022, HRMMU sent a letter to the Ombudsperson for Children of the Russian Federation, Ms. Mariia Lvova-Belova, requesting that she facilitate the release of an underage son of a public official from Zaporizhzhia, who had been subjected to enforced disappearance. In the letter, HRMMU asked to facilitate the victim's release and safe passage to his parents. After HRMMU's advocacy letter on repatriation, a pregnant prisoner of war was included in a prisoner of war exchange and delivered a healthy baby soon after returning to the government-controlled territory. In another case, a relative of a victim of enforced disappearance was informed of the pre-trial detention of the victim by an LPR investigator, who explicitly referred to an HRMMU letter on the issue. HRMMU led advocacy with the ombudsperson of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, condemning the death sentence against three Ukrainian servicepersons accused of being mercenaries and asked her to ensure the protection of their rights. HRMMU is concerned that, in the absence of effective fair trial guarantees, mercenary charges may have served as a pretext to strip the individuals of their status as prisoners of war. HRMMU sent an advocacy letter on the subject to the ombudsperson of the Donetsk Peoples Republic. On August 23rd, 2022, OHCHR released a press briefing note, which HRMMU initiated and prepared, raising concerns over the upcoming trial of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian-affiliated groups, labelled as an international tribunal. HRMMU also shared the press briefing note on its social media pages. Additionally, HRMMU contributed to preparing an urgent appeal from the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and the Working Group on the use of mercenaries regarding the death sentences of the three foreign servicemembers sentenced in Donetsk. HRMMU also attempted to monitor the final hearing but was denied access to the courtroom. Result 2 Human rights concerns arising from the conflict are reflected in the plans, programs and/or activities of UN agencies and are taken up by relevant international actors in a timely manner. HRMMUs extensive monitoring work and public reports and analytical assessments on human rights violations in Ukraine informed all relevant national and international duty-bearers, decision-makers, civil society, and other stakeholders of the human rights situation in Ukraine. By providing credible, timely, and thorough human rights analysis to national and international actors, HRMMU enabled them to take actions for the protection of victims. UN Member States, civil society organizations, as well as UN Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures referred to the HRMMUs findings and recommendations as a basis for assisting national institutions in addressing human rights violations. HRMMU findings provided early warning, raised protection issues for the attention of the humanitarian community, fed into bilateral and multilateral discussions between various interlocutors, and informed and shaped the design of humanitarian and recovery responses by both national and international stakeholders. To illustrate the relevance of the Missions work to international peace and security mechanisms, information collected and analysed by the Mission has been used at the UN Security Council at least 23 times between February 2022 and December 2023. HRMMUs information has also been a crucial tool for the UN and the international community to advocate for better respect, protection, and fulfilment of human rights by the sides of the international armed conflict and has been debated at the UN Human Rights Council 12 times in the reporting period. HRMMU's reports also contributed to achieving justice and increasing accountability as HRMMU findings were explicitly referred to in several judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice. By facilitating in-depth information about the human rights situation in Ukraine to UN and other humanitarian actors in Ukraine, HRMMU improved their ability to facilitate promotion of human rights, protection of civilians and responses to IHRL and IHL violations. Since the Russian Federation armed attack, HRMMU's information has been crucial in informing UN agencies on the human rights situation in the worst-affected areas and supporting evidence-based responses and decision-making. HRMMU analysis provided humanitarian and development actors with information for enhanced shaping of evidence-based policies, assistance programs and response mechanisms and helped them direct their assistance to beneficiaries in a more precise manner. A key part of the engagement was supporting these actors to adopt human rights sensitive approaches into humanitarian response and conflict cycle management. Essential part of this was advice on inclusion of persons in situations of vulnerability, including persons with disabilities and older persons, and strengthening integration of gender perspectives. HRMMU mainstreamed human rights across UN organizations in Ukraine by coordinating the efforts of the Human Rights Working group. Through the working group HRMMU coordinated inputs to treaty bodies and the analysis of draft laws, drove UNCT initiatives in gender mainstreaming, led UNCT work on hate speech and Roma rights, and ensured the inclusion of human rights concerns and a human rights-based approach in UNCT policy papers and strategic responses. Additionally, HRMMU provided early warning and engaged UNCT in prevention activities in relation to tensions between Orthodox communities in Ukraine and hate speech inciting to violence against the Roma and LGBTI communities. HRMMU also played a pivotal role in activating the Working Group within Ukraine's informal Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on Children and Armed Conflict in 2022. Furthermore, HRMMU actively participated in the humanitarian cluster system feeding human rights information to the humanitarian response, facilitating cross-fertilization of the UN's strategic responses to human rights violations in Ukraine. HRMMU achieved this by providing substantial contribution to shaping strategic documents and response mechanisms and their implementation for the UN Country Team and the Humanitarian Country Team, including the Partnership Frameworks between the Government of Ukraine and the UN for 2018-2022 and 2025-2030, and the Transitional Framework, developed in 2022 to structure UN-Ukraine cooperation and align the UN response to the ongoing war, complementing and reinforcing humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts. HRMMU inputs ensured that all these crucial frameworks that set the priorities for and guide UN engagement in Ukraine integrated a human rights-based approach and consider the needs of women, as well as persons and groups in most vulnerable situations. OHCHRs expertise helped UNCT to strategically support the Government and civil society to advance the human rights and rule of law agenda and to protect vulnerable groups and individuals from being left behind. HRMMU findings, and especially protection analysis, such as civilian casualties numbers, were also crucial to inform the Humanitarian Needs Overviews and Humanitarian Response Plans guiding the humanitarian response. HRMMU analysis was employed to monitor and control implementation of joint rapid response action to address disruption of basic services in the conflict[1]affected areas, together with OCHA, IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO. Moreover, after February 2022, HRMMU engaged with key recovery mechanisms to advise on a human-rights based approach, including assessments such as the World Bank Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, as well as sharing information to inform the World Banks 5-year strategy in Ukraine. HRMMU also initiated a UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy Risk Assessment in Ukraine and its update after the full-scale armed attack. HRMMU also provided daily inputs to the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC), which enabled the wide dissemination of human rights information at the highest level of the UN system for further centralized decision making, as well as collective, humanitarian and political action. Owing to HRMMUs consistent and thorough documentation of civilian casualties, international and national actors, seeking to understand the human cost of the ongoing international armed conflict regularly referred to HRMMUs civilian casualty data. OHCHR/HRMMU documented figures are used as a primary point of reference that reflects the UN position on conflict-related civilian casualties (killed and injured), thus shaping programmes run by the entire UN family in Ukraine in response to civilian casualties. HRMMU fed into the work of all UN agencies in Ukraine through its public reports as well as daily, weekly, monthly, and ad hoc reports on the human rights situation in Ukraine. HRMMUs monitoring and documentation of human rights violations, formulation of relevant recommendations as well as provision of legal advice and referral of cases allowed for identification of gaps and concerns and helped guide humanitarian and recovery interventions. HRMMU also remained a critical element of the UN presence in Ukraine, maintaining a continuous presence in conflict-affected areas and a capacity to remotely produce information about territory occupied by the Russian Federation. HRMMU provided relevant humanitarian actors with regular evidence-based data on protection of civilians, including civilian casualty figures, and periodic public reports and regular updates on the human rights situation in Ukraine and emerging risks across the front line, based on its monitoring activities. HRMMUs work was instrumental in shaping strategic response mechanisms in Ukraine including the implementation of the Partnership Framework between the Government of Ukraine and the United Nations for 2018-2022, to which HRMMU had contributed the human rights component. In 2021, HRMMU continued to co-lead Pillar 3 (Democratic governance, rule of law and civic participation) helping to steer and implement all UN activities under this pillar. HRMMU has also actively participated in the management of Pillar 4 (Human security, social cohesion and recovery with a particular focus on Eastern Ukraine). After the Russian Federation armed attack in 2022, HRMMU participated in the development of the UN Country Team Transitional Framework for Ukraine 2022- 2023. This framework aimed to align the UN response to the ongoing war, complementing and reinforcing humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts. It served as a rapid joint UN response guidance to the changed operational framework in Ukraine and a transition Strategy to bridge with the new Partnership Framework between the Government of Ukraine and the United Nations for 2025-2029, that the Mission contributed to develop throughout 2023 and 2024. Through contributing inputs throughout the drafting process HRMMU ensured that human rights and rule of law considerations were maintained as one of the central focuses of action, and that gender issues and minority rights were incorporated in the overall framework. HRMMU also developed and is implementing a Human Rights Due Diligence Policy for the UNCT. Furthermore, HRMMU was a crucial source of information for the Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan every year between 2021 and 2023, helping to shape humanitarian responses and ensure a human rights-based approach. After the start of the armed attack, HRMMU's findings on the civilian harm caused by the conflict, including civilian casualty numbers, were used as a key source of information for managing Ukraine's Humanitarian Response Plan and individual responses to the conflict. HRMMU provided guidance on protection of civilians in armed conflict to all UN agencies in Ukraine, integrating these concerns into joint documents, such as the Humanitarian Country Team Protection Strategy. HRMMU analysis was also used to monitor and control the implementation of joint rapid response actions to address disruptions of basic services in conflict-affected areas, in collaboration with OCHA, IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WHO. HRMMU has also helped establish referral pathways, ensuring that cases in need of humanitarian or legal support are referred to relevant national and international partners. HRMMU maintained cooperation with other UN agencies through participation in meetings of the UN Country Team, Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), HCT Protection Strategy Working Group, Gender Theme Group, Protection Cluster, and gender-based violence sub-cluster at the national and local levels. Through these platforms, HRMMU presented its findings, concerns, and recommendations, and provided expert advice. As part of its efforts to support human rights and gender-sensitive protection recommendations, HRMMU led the UNCT's Human Rights Working Group. Through the working group, HRMMU coordinated comments on draft laws and inputs to treaty body reviews. By coordinating the filing of such submissions, HRMMU promoted a unified UNCT approach and ensured that major human rights issues affecting Ukraine were brought to the attention of treaty bodies and other UN human rights mechanisms. HRMMU remained one of the key members of the HCT Protection Strategy Working Group (PSWG). As part of the PSWG, HRMMU helped identify priority areas for joint advocacy, coordinated joint efforts on the protection of civilians, and co-led and participated in joint actions on other priority issues. Additionally, HRMMU continued to be an active member of the Housing, Land, and Property Technical Working Groups (HLP TWG), where it advocated for the establishment of a restitution and compensation policy by the government for the civilian population whose houses, land, and property have been damaged due to the conflict. The Mission's involvement in formulating a revised UN Country Team Action Plan against sexual exploitation and abuse and its contribution to the Protection cluster underscored its commitment to human rights mainstreaming in humanitarian response activities. Essential part of HRMMUs commitment was to advice on inclusion of persons in situations of vulnerability, including persons with disabilities and older persons, and strengthening integration of gender perspectives. HRMMU led UNCT work on minority rights, coordinating inputs to the Roma Strategy Action Plan, which was adopted in July 2021 following months of HRMMU advocacy with UNCT engagement. The strategy includes numerous UNCT recommendations, such as the importance of collecting disaggregated data, and the need for capacity building of government authorities on non[1]discrimination and promoting Roma rights. Throughout the reporting period HRMMU coordinated UNCT inputs on the content and structure of the draft law on national minorities and represented the UNCT in a parliamentary working group on the elaboration of a new draft law. HRMMU advocated for the adoption of the draft law with the Head of the Parliament Committee on Law Enforcement, noting that it contains positive provisions that could bring Ukrainian legislation on preventing and combating hate crimes and hate speech in line with international human rights standards. Before the full-scale armed attack, HRMMU jointly advocated with the UNCT and relevant authorities for the adoption of necessary actions to prevent incidents of hate speech from escalating into violence and hate crimes. HRMMU also provided the resident coordinator with a confidential briefing note on groups promoting violence in Ukraine, which offered recommendations on reducing the negative impact of such groups on civic space in Ukraine. In 2021, HRMMU contributed to UNCT policy papers on social protection, Roma, persons with disabilities, gender-based violence, climate change, and the UNCT leave no one behind report to ensure that they included human rights concerns. In these contributions, HRMMU highlighted issues such as the safety and security of human rights defenders, the participation of civil society, the inclusion of domestic violence survivors in armed group-controlled territory and ensuring the inclusion of all relevant groups in vulnerable situations. In 2022, HRMMU also supported the World Bank in Ukraine by sharing evidence-based information gathered by HRMMU on obstacles to housing and utility subsidies for households living in vulnerability. The objective was to inform the World Bank's five-year strategy for partnerships in Ukraine, with the potential for a more fundamental strategic spill-over of OHCHR work through heavier international financial institutions. HRMMU provided early warning information to the UNCT, the international community, and local authorities, and led early warning advocacy interventions. In multiple cases in 2021, HRMMU early warning on hate speech that incited into violence allowed for a coordinated response that prevented escalation into hate crimes and violence. In 2023, HRMMU early warning and preventative action through the UNCT contributed to the lack of serious incidents and violence despite high social tensions around Ukrainian Orthodox Church. HRMMU raising early warning was followed prompt inter-agency reaction, including joint action between HRMMU, the Resident Coordinator, the Ombudsperson, and key embassies, ultimately contributing to national authorities refraining from actions that could lead to violence. In addition to advising UN Country Team on addressing critical human rights concerns, and raising early warning in country, HRMMU continued to submit regular reports that fed into the UN's global early warning mechanism and provided recommendations on necessary follow-up actions to address concerns, prevent violations, and mitigate emerging risks. HRMMU worked in close coordination with UN human rights mechanisms to both feed into their work and advocate for the implementation of their recommendations. HRMMU coordinated joint UNCT submissions to charter-based and treaty-based UN bodies. In the project period, HRMMU coordinated UNCT inputs to the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Committee on Enforced Disappearances, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. These submissions highlighted applicable human rights issues in Ukraine, some of which include the lack of accountability and impunity for conflict[1]related crimes committed by government officials, legislative and procedural gaps in addressing conflict-related sexual violence, gaps in ensuring remedy and reparations to the conflict-affected population, concerns with administration of justice, need to include crimes against humanity into national legislation and bring the provisions on genocide and war crimes in line with international standards and the impact of the conflict on persons with disabilities and children in vulnerable situations, including children with disabilities, internally displaced, asylum-seeking and refugee children and children deprived of a family environment. These submissions informed the Committees concluding observations, which often reflected UNCTs findings. HRMMU continued to ensure that the UN Special Rapporteurs and Procedures had access to up-to[1]date and relevant information on the human rights situation in Ukraine, especially in the context of the deteriorating situation after the RF armed attack against Ukraine. Through its support, HRMMU assisted these human rights mechanisms to develop relevant capacity-building and technical expertise for the benefit of Ukrainian authorities, and to support their compliance with human rights standards and best practices. To illustrate, HRMMU collaborated with the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment on multiple points during the project. In 2021, HRMMU sent the Special Rapporteur a note analysing the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Justice to introduce a system whereby detainees can pay for higher quality cells in pre-trial detention facilities. Based on information compiled by HRMMU, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication to the Government of Ukraine regarding concerns over the equal access of detainees to adequate accommodation and alleged discrimination. The decision was later reversed. In 2023, HRMMU collaborated with the Special Rapporteur regarding her visit to Ukraine. HRMMU supported the Special Rapporteur with substantive expertise and information about the latest trends in Ukraine, as well as supporting her in identifying and reaching relevant interlocutors. HRMMU also collaborated with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression and opinion regarding the decision of the Government of Ukraine to close down three opposition TV channels. HRMMU shared an analysis of the decision with the Special Rapporteur, who issued a communication addressed to the Government of Ukraine on this issue. Moreover, HRMMU shared its findings of the conflicts impact on human rights in Ukraine with Special Procedures offices on arbitrary detention, enforced or involuntary disappearances, internally displaced persons, adequate housing, LGBTI rights, and older persons. HRMMU played an instrumental role in advocating for collaboration between the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF in Ukraine, and the UNCT on children in armed conflict. In March 2022, HRMMU briefed the office of the Special Representative on its methodology and shared information on the number of children affected by the hostilities in Ukraine. HRMMU also provided details on various grave violations against children, including killing, maiming, recruitment, use in conflict, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abductions, and denial of humanitarian access. The Mission agreed to regularly share concise information on these grave violations with the office of the Special Representative through the UN Resident Coordinator. Additionally, on 30 March 2022, HRMMU submitted a joint United Nations Country Team submission to the Special Representative on the six grave violations against children in times of war. In its submission, which covered the period from 24 February to 28 March, HRMMU provided a detailed overview of the documented violations against children since the start of the armed attack. HRMMU also contributed inputs to the Global Horizontal Notes on Children and Armed Conflict, and the Secretary-Generals annual report on children and armed conflict and participated in a Technical Support team to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, as part of a coordinated mechanism for reporting on Children in armed conflict. HRMMU also conducted regular bilateral and multilateral briefings for the international community, such as the Swedish Embassy and EU Delegation, regarding the human rights situation in the country. By sharing its findings and analysis, the Mission aimed to advocate for a coherent and prompt response to emerging human rights violations and enable joint advocacy on the most pressing human rights issues in Ukraine. Before February 2022, HRMMUs information also instructed other actors on the ground, including the Trilateral Contact Group, OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and other political instruments and actors, on developments in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, such as hostilities, civilian casualties, conflict-related detentions, simultaneous releases under the Minsk agreements, and interactions with de facto authorities. The information, findings, analysis, and recommendations produced by OHCHR/HRMMU were shared with a wide group of national stakeholders and the international community. Such action helped to inform and shape responses in addressing human rights violations as well as the humanitarian responses to the conflict. Based on its monitoring and reporting work, HRMMU also provided information to high-level international fora, including the UN Security Council. HRMMU regularly provided information to USG briefs to the Security Council, and HRMMU information informed discussion at the Security Council at least 23 times between 24 February 2022 and end of December 2023. In one illustrative instance, on 5 May 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, delivered a statement to the Security Council, highlighting the Missions information on civilian casualties and findings on summary executions, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of war and conflict-related sexual violence, urging for protection of civilians and renewed efforts to agree on a ceasefire. Another example is the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres briefing the Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, and on the impact of the war on human rights on 24 August 2022, based on HRMMUs findings. HRMMUs information has also been a valuable tool for the UN and the international community to advocate for better respect, protection, and fulfilment of human rights by the sides of the international armed conflict. Before the Russian Federation armed attack, HRMMU information was also utilized in previous peace processes, such as Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk and Normandy Four. Moreover, HRMMU regularly provided information to the UN Human Rights Council. HRMMUs 31st , 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th and 36th and 37th periodic reports were presented discussed at interactive dialogues on Ukraine held at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Furthermore, the UN High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, delivered an oral update on Mariupol at the 9th session of the Human Rights Council on 16 June 2022. She presented the latest updates about the human rights situation in Mariupol, compiled by HRMMU. In 2022, both HRMMU thematic reports were also presented to the Human Rights Council: the report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation on 5 July 2022, and the report on killings of civilians in February and March, presented on 15 December by the High Commissioner, Volker Türk. HRMMU reports garnered wide interest in the Human Rights Council, with many participants being well informed of the content and engaging in a constructive manner. As part of its efforts to advocate for a coherent and prompt response to human rights violations in Ukraine at the international level, HRMMU continued its longstanding cooperation with UNESCO, sharing its analysis and findings in Information Sessions on the human rights situation in Crimea, organized twice a year by UNESCO. HRMMU shared its findings relevant to UNESCO's mandate, such as the situation of Crimean Tatars as an indigenous people, the right to education in native languages, and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association, religion, and belief. In 2021 the first event gathered 99 participants, with First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova expressing her gratitude to OHCHR for its presentation and referring to the findings of HRMMU's periodic report in her statement, whereas the second was attended by 83 participants, including the OSCE representative for media, NGOs, and representatives of UN Member States. In 2022, and 2023 over 90 participants attended the information sessions, comprising States and international organizations, who referred positively to HRMMU's work in their statements. These information sessions provided a high-profile forum for HRMMU to share its update on its monitoring of the situation in Crimea. Furthermore, during a meeting with a delegation from UNESCO visiting Ukraine as part of their monitoring and reporting on the situation in Crimea on 21 October 2021, UNESCO spoke highly of HRMMU's reporting and noted with appreciation that OHCHR (including through SG reports) provides concrete figures on education and concrete emblematic cases. Between 4 and 7 December 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made an official visit to Ukraine. He held a series of meetings with the Prosecutor General, the Deputy Speaker and relevant committees of the Parliament, the Ombudsperson, and Security Services, urging respect for IHRL and IHL and raising priority advocacy issues. In his concluding media statement, the High Commissioner called attention to the large humanitarian needs in the country and the devastating effects the war has had on the enjoyment of human rights for people in Ukraine, especially for those in vulnerable situations in the context of severe damage and destruction to civilian objects in winter conditions. The High Commissioner also highlighted the findings of HRMMU's report on summary executions released the day of the statement and called for accountability and victims' right to truth, justice, and reparation. He also referred to HRMMU's statement in mid-November on ill-treatment, torture, and executions of prisoners of war. In July, the Head of OHCHR Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division had also visited Ukraine and met with the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, representatives of several Ukrainian NGOs, and made a field visit to Irpin and Bucha. These high-level visits increased knowledge and understanding of the human rights impact of the conflict in Ukraine and fed into bilateral and multilateral regional and global human rights discussions. By documenting individual cases in its human rights database HRMMU keeps a valuable record of human rights violations perpetrated in Ukraine. HRMMU has been compiling a record of human rights and IHL violations, including possible war crimes, from the first day of the armed attack, as they are happening, crucially contributing to establishing a credible and concurrent record of events to enable holding perpetrators accountable by future national and international accountability mechanisms and judicial proceedings and ensuring remedy and reparations to victims. Notable examples of HRMMU contribution to international justice mechanisms include the European Court of Human Rights January 2023 decision on the inter-state case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia concerning events in eastern Ukraine including the downing of the MH17 flight, in which information produced by HRMMU is referred to more than 70 times. In another instance in 2021, the European Court of Human Rights extensively referred to HRMMU findings in five emblematic interrelated judgements relating to human rights violations during the Maidan protests and their ineffective investigation. The International Court of Justice also relied on HRMMU analysis in two January 2024 decisions examining violations by the Russian Federation of provisions of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (ICSFT) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The judgement extensively refers to OHCHRs thematic reports on Crimea, SG reports on Crimea and HRMMUs Briefing Note on Enforced Disappearances in Crimea. These decisions underline the weight given to HRMMUs reports as a form of evidence in international courts and tribunals. Local courts in Ukraine also referenced OHCHR reports in conflict[1]related cases, including the 2023 report on detention of civilians, which was quoted by defendants in conflict-related hearings at Shevchenkivskyi district court of Kyiv in August and in Obolonskyi District Court in Kyiv in October. Overall, HRMMU findings were mentioned in more than 65 judgements and verdicts of national courts of all levels during 2023. In addition to its reports being used as evidence in courts, HRMMU contributed to accountability through informing accountability actors and human rights mechanisms on the human rights situation in Ukraine through briefings. The trends and patterns of violations identified by OHCHR are helping other accountability actors to define their priorities. For example, HRMMU provided dedicated informal briefings on general patterns and individual cases in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court and OSCE Moscow Mechanisms. The Head of Mission has also briefed the experts of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine on multiple occasions. HRMMU also met with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights on his visit to Ukraine to discuss pertinent human rights issues in Ukraine. Many international actors also widely used HRMMU data and analysis in their own analyses of the situation in Ukraine. Some examples include OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reports on IHL and IHRL in Ukraine in 2022 and 2022 and 2023, and the United States Department of State Country Report in Human Rights Practices for 2023. Since the beginning of the armed attack against Ukraine, there has been high international media interest in HRMMU's monitoring and findings, and HRMMU information on human rights violations and civilian casualty figures have received significant and high-profile media coverage. In total, HRMMU is aware of at least 8,190 mentions of its findings in international and national media articles during 2021-23.7 The Mission's findings have been widely covered by key international media outlets, including BBC, CNN, Forbes, Independent, Reuters, Washington Post, DW, and Zeit. For example, in March 2022, the Head of Mission gave over 10 press interviews, including with journalist Stephanie Nebehay from Reuters, and with award-winning journalist Christiane Amanpour from CNN, German news channel ARD, and 2 live radio interviews. In April 2022, the Head of Mission gave a live interview on CNN, and radio interviews on ABC, NPR, and BBC Ukrainecast. In the project period HRMMU issued 23 press statements and releases on various topics, including accountability for grave human rights violations, attack on civilians and infrastructure, treatment of POWs, and summary executions of civilians, which were widely shared by international media, including generating leading news items in major broadcast and print media on the day of release. In addition, HRMMUs social media reached more than 506.2K persons in Facebook and Instagram8 , brought about by 458 social media publications. Result 3: The Government of Ukraine and civil society have a better understanding of accountability mechanisms and the Government conducts effective investigations of the most egregious human rights violations (such as torture and all forms of conflict-related sexual violence). During the project, HRMMU diligently worked towards prevention of and accountability for torture and ill-treatment in both Territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, territory controlled by the self-proclaimed 'republics', and from areas that are, or have been, under occupation of the Russian Federation, including Crimea. HRMMUs frequent visits to detention centres and POW camps and interviews with released detainees identified patterns of human rights violations for further advocacy and provided some protection to detainees. HRMMU focused on enhanced advocacy, capacity[1]building of relevant stakeholders relating to protection systems and accountability mechanisms, as well as follow-up actions on individual cases. HRMMUs long-term targeted advocacy grounded in the projects outputs led to improvements in legislation, which now provides enhanced accountability for torture and aligns with international standards. Supported by HRMMU long-term advocacy and advice, the Parliament of Ukraine on 1 December 2022 adopted a law amending the Criminal Code of Ukraine, aiming at harmonizing national legislation with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The law institutes changes to the definition of torture to align with the Convention and increases the accountability of State agents by including acts committed at the instigation of, or with the consent or acquiescence of persons acting in an official capacity, increasing prison terms for torture committed by a State agent and ensuring torture investigations cannot be time-barred by establishing that no statute of limitation applies to torture committed by State agents. HRMMU advocacy also ensured that another draft law On the Security Service of Ukraine contains strong safeguards against torture and ill-treatment by Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officials and that provisions allowing SBU to run its own detention facilities were removed from the draft. Another illustrative example of the impact of HRMMUs work to prevent ill-treatment is the improvement in the treatment of POWs under the control of Ukraine. After the release of OHCHR report on prisoners of war in March 2023, the Mission observed marked enhancements at the POW camp in the Lviv region, addressing concerns highlighted in OHCHR public reports and presented to the relevant authorities. Noteworthy changes included increased food portions, cessation of punitive measures using physical exercise, and the discontinuation of some coercive practices. Specific requests made by HRMMU resulted in provisions for individual cases, including permitting correspondence, phone calls, and offering necessary medical and psychiatric services. Furthermore, the Deputy Head of the State Penitentiary Service requested the administration of other facilities where Russian POWs are interned to address concerns highlighted by HRMMU, such as addressing violence, humiliation, and conditions of detention. To achieve this, in addition to public advocacy through wide dissemination of the thematic report and press statements on this issue, HRMMU organized capacity-building of pre-trial detention facilities on IHRL and IHL standards regarding POW treatment and conducted bilateral advocacy to present its findings and encourage implementation of applicable IHL standards. In addition, by proactively examining and documenting IHL and IHRL violations related to the treatment of POWs HRMMU has provided reliable public information and kept international attention on this issue. Publicly highlighting this issue in combination with targeted advocacy with key duty-bearers has contributed to prevention of egregious IHL violations perpetrated against Russian POWs. Notably, the Mission has documented gradual decrease in violence upon the capture of Russian POWs and no cases of summary execution of Russian POWs after February 2023, underscoring the positive impact of HRMMU's engagement. Another focus of the project was support to provision of expertise on protection systems and accountability mechanisms for conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Ukraine. HRMMUs dedication to documenting and reporting on CRSV cases ensured availability of credible and verified information on CRSV during a time of abundant misinformation about the topic and raised awareness regarding trends and patterns of CRSV in Ukraine and about obstacles to addressing it, supporting evidence-based prevention and response activities. Through partnerships with civil society actors, and engagement with the CRSV Department of the Prosecutor Generals Office, OHCHR advocated for access to justice for CRSV survivors and strengthened referral pathways for survivors, thereby contributing to survivor-centric justice. OHCHR also contributed to survivor-centric accountability in line with international best practices through participation in the Inter-Agency Working Group supporting implementation of the Framework of Cooperation on CRSV between the United Nations and Government of Ukraine. Furthermore, the Missions information supported the design of survivor-centred support services focusing on survivors' rights to truth, reparations, access to justice, adequate healthcare, trauma counselling, and services by identifying gaps in availability and accessibility of services for CRSV survivors. By ensuring that survivors' experiences are acknowledged, HRMMU plays a pivotal role in fostering an environment that prioritizes the needs and rights of survivors. HRMMU prioritized providing corroborated information about and raising issues related to torture for discussion throughout the project. During 2021-23, HRMMU issued three relevant reports: a 2021 report about arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment in relation to the conflict in eastern Ukraine 2014 to 2021, and 2023 reports on treatment of prisoners of war and detention of civilians during the full-scale armed conflict since 2022. This focus in reporting demonstrates the crucial weight HRMMU has put to the work on torture and ill-treatment of both civilians and POWs in Ukraine. In addition to public reporting, HRMMU raised issues of torture and ill-treatment and redress for victims during public appearances and events, and in meetings with relevant duty-bearers. Key issues raised included forming a comprehensive understanding of the rules around the treatment of POWs, advocacy for fair treatment of conflict-related detainees and use of the Istanbul Protocol as an instrument for effective investigation and documentation of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of punishment. As part of the project HRMMU regularly engaged the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on prevention of torture and ill-treatment and ensuring redress for victims. This included presentation of relevant findings from periodic and thematic reports, bilateral discussions, including at the highest level, and attendance in related public events. For example, on 5 December 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, during his visit to Ukraine, met with high-ranking SBU officials. The High Commissioner raised issues of torture and POW treatment and stressed the importance of ensuring respect for IHL, as well as ensuring that all evidence obtained can be used in accountability proceedings. He also raised that Ukraine must ensure that 'collaborators' in areas where Ukraine has regained control are not ill-treated. In another instance, after the release of the thematic report on arbitrary detention and torture in July 2021, HRMMU met with SBU to discuss the reports findings and recommendations, including that legal safeguards for persons deprived of their liberty are fully implemented, staff is trained on the Istanbul Protocol and that the reform of the SBU contributes to the prevention of arbitrary detention and of torture and ill-treatment by SBU in the future. HRMMU also attended a roundtable on 5 October 2022 on "Human rights and freedoms in the activities of the Security Service of Ukraine" organized by the Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), with the participation of representatives from the Ombudsperson, law enforcement, and military agencies, ICRC, and EU Assistance Mission. HRMMU presented its findings on human rights violations by the SBU during its investigation of conflict-related criminal cases in the context of the armed attack of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions, torture and ill-treatment, compelled confessions, and denial of access to legal counsel and gave recommendations on how to improve human rights compliance. HRMMU also engaged with a variety of stakeholders to build up capacity in relation to arbitrary detention, torture, and conflict-related sexual violence. For example, on 7 July 2021, HRMMU briefed military lawyers on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and on specific human rights concerns in relation to the conduct of hostilities by Ukrainian Armed Forces. Seven military lawyers (all men) deployed on a rotation basis from military units attended the briefing. On 23 November 2021, HRMMU gave a presentation on the protection of civilians in armed conflict to four officers of the UAF (two women and two men) responsible for civil and military cooperation, who were to be deployed with their brigades to the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, on 25 April 2023, HRMMU delivered an information session to the heads of pre-trial detention facilities from all regions of Ukraine. To raise awareness on what constitutes a violation according to IHL and IHRL, HRMMU explained its findings on violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the treatment of conflict-related detainees and POWs in pre-trial detention facilities since the Russian Federation armed attack against Ukraine. HRMMU further stressed key provisions of international law which govern treatment of POWs. The State Penitentiary Service committed to timely address raised concerns going forward. In another training organised on 29 August 2023, HRMMU increased human rights lawyers knowledge and understanding of documenting human rights violation and working with international human rights mechanisms. With this knowledge the human rights lawyers are better equipped to use these mechanisms in seeking to bring perpetrators accountable and seeking redress for victims. The training was organized by the Ukrainian Helsinki Union and focused on documenting violations and preparing submissions to ICC, UN Treaty Bodies and Special procedures. HRMMU delivered a session on its work with victims and witnesses of human rights violations and presented examples of its public reports being used by the European Court of Human Rights and International Court of Justice. Furthermore, HRMMU's facilitation of the Special Rapporteur on Torture's visit in September demonstrates its commitment to capacity-building and technical expertise development for Ukrainian authorities. Technical assistance, agenda formulation, and support in drafting submissions underline HRMMU's contribution to preventing torture and ensuring human rights compliance. HRMMU actively facilitated the visit of the Special Rapporteur on Torture, which occurred on 4-10 September 2023. Through its support to the Special Rapporteur, HRMMU assisted this human rights mechanism to develop relevant capacity-building and technical expertise for the benefit of Ukrainian authorities, and to support their compliance with human rights in addressing prosecuting and preventing torture. HRMMU has been the only international entity to systematically document and verify allegations of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Ukraine since the beginning of the armed attack by the Russian Federation. Through systematic documentation and verification of allegations of conflict[1]related sexual violence, HRMMU has documented over 270 cases of CRSV since the beginning of the armed attack by the Russian Federation, the majority of which were perpetrated by members of Russian armed forces, law enforcement officials or penitentiary staff. Most CRSV cases are perpetrated in the context of detention against both civilian detainees and POWs, with many cases amounting to torture as violence is used to obtain information, extract confessions, punish, intimidate, or humiliate the detainees. HRMMU also documented cases of CRSV including rape, gang rape, forced nudity and forced public stripping perpetrated by members of the Russian armed forces or law enforcement authorities in territory under military control of the Russian Federation. This documentation ensured the availability of credible and verified information on conflict-related sexual violence in an environment where disinformation and multiple competing claims of CRSV events were prevalent. HRMMU documentation of CRSV cases has allowed the identification of broad patterns and trends of CRSV in Ukraine and has raised awareness among various stakeholders about diverse manifestations of sexual violence, including CRSV in the context of detention and its links to other human rights violations. HRMMU advise, technical assistance and advocacy aimed to ensure that national and international actors consider diverse manifestations of CRSV and integrated a survivor-centred approach in humanitarian and conflict responses. Some examples of HRMMU efforts include the support to the implementation of the Framework Cooperation on the Prevention and Response to CRSV, signed in May 2022 by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict after joint advocacy by the Special Representative, HRMMU and other UN agencies in Ukraine. In its efforts to support the implementation of the Framework, HRMMU actively contributed to the draft Implementation Plan of the Framework and ensured its findings on CRSV were presented to and taken into consideration by the sub-working groups responsible for the plan. HRMMU also provided background materials about conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine since 24 February 2022 to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict and advised them on their planned capacity-building activities with the Government and other stakeholders. Before Russias full-scale armed attack HRMMU supported the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy in implementation of the second Ukrainian National Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security with development of a list of early warning indicators on CRSV. HRMMU noted that in October 2022, the Office of the Prosecutor General presented a new strategy for integrating a victim-centred approach into CRSV investigations. This will facilitate survivors' access to justice while protecting them against re-traumatization or other harm. Furthermore, the Missions information supported the design of survivor-centred support services focusing on survivors' rights to truth, reparations, access to justice, adequate healthcare, trauma counselling, and services by identifying gaps in availability and accessibility of services for CRSV survivors. By ensuring that survivors' experiences are acknowledged, HRMMU plays a pivotal role in fostering an environment that prioritizes the needs and rights of survivors. For example, HRMMU supported the integration of gender aspects into humanitarian response efforts by advising key persons and giving inputs to the Humanitarian Needs overview and Humanitarian Response Plan. HRMMU drew attention to the gaps in the availability and accessibility of services to survivors of CRSV. The Mission has long advocated and collaborated with representatives of the Parliament and Government of Ukraine and welcomed the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) by Ukraine, which entered into force on 1 November 2022. The HRMMU held several informal consultations with representatives of civil society organizations to discuss emerging trends and current challenges in the human rights situation in Ukraine. These consultations served as a platform for exchanging information and assessments between civil society and the UN, fostering collaboration, and understanding. Discussions during these consultations focused on several key issues, including: - Social cohesion and the rights of the conflict-affected population, particularly regarding compensation for the destruction of civilian property and confiscation or appropriation for military use. This topic highlights the need to address the rights and well-being of those affected by the conflict, ensuring that they receive adequate support and compensation for their losses. - Respect for fundamental freedoms, minority issues, security of activists and journalists, civic space and voting rights. This area of discussion underscores the importance of preserving and promoting human rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, and participation in political processes, as well as ensuring the safety of activists and journalists. - Torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, and the rights of and support for detainees released from armed group-controlled territory. This topic emphasizes the need to address human rights abuses, such as torture and arbitrary detention, and provide proper support and assistance for those who have been released from captivity. These informal consultations between HRMMU and civil society organizations play a crucial role in maintaining open lines of communication and collaboration, ultimately contributing to the promotion and protection of human rights in Ukraine. Throughout the project period, HRMMU regularly visited detention facilities holding conflict-related detainees in Ukrainian-controlled territory. By conducting 137 visits to places of detention and POW camps HRMMU was able to identify issues and patterns of concerns in relation to torture and ill[1]treatment as well as provide a form of protection through presence and international attention on treatment and conditions of detainees. HRMMU also raised individual cases with duty-bearers, which in many cases led to improvements in conditions and preventive efforts and in some cases to investigations being initiated into alleged human rights violations. As the self-proclaimed republics and the Russian Federation as occupying power did not facilitate independent international access to detention facilities in occupied areas, HRMMU monitored detention conditions in occupied territory through interviews with released detainees and exchanged POWs, who had returned to Ukrainian[1]controlled territory as well as relatives of detainees. Based on its findings, HRMMU advocated for the prevention of and accountability for torture and ill-treatment through various strategies. One strategy involved advocacy letters and meetings with state institutions to obtain information, request action, and inquire about the progress of investigations in individual cases. HRMMU also shared its findings with key international partners through briefings for interested ambassadors, including Swedish ambassador, contributions to the annual EU-Ukraine Human Rights Dialogue, and other parties, enabling joint advocacy. Following the armed attack by the Russian Federation, HRMMU expanded its accountability work to conflict-related violations, including monitoring the treatment of POWs, such as visiting places of POW internment, issues related to missing persons, victims of enforced disappearances, forced deportation, and filtration camps. From March 2022 to December, HRMMU interviewed almost 700 prisoners of war, both from the ranks of Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups, and from the ranks of Ukrainian armed forces. These interviews allowed for forming a comprehensive understanding of the treatment of POWs on both sides of the front line to inform duty bearers and the international community on their situation. OHCHR documented widespread practices of torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war in places of internment in the Russian Federation and in territory it occupies, as well as cases of torture and ill-treatment of Russian and affiliated armed groups upon capture by the Ukrainian armed forces. HRMMU collaborated with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) to support the Ukrainian government in preventing and addressing cases of enforced disappearances. HRMMU directly referred over 350 people to the working group, which then sent more than 300 urgent procedure letters related to cases of enforced disappearance of civilians and combatants in Ukraine. Moreover, the Mission held meetings with the Ombudsperson's Office and the Coordination Headquarters for the treatment of POWs to explain the working group's mandate and facilitate contact between victims of enforced disappearance and the WGEID. Following these meetings, the Coordination Headquarters for the treatment of POWs included HRMMU's instructions on its webpage and facilitated a meeting between the working group and relatives of victims. HRMMU actively informed relatives of victims, civil society actors, and the public about the possibility of availing the working group's assistance through various meetings and social media posts detailing cooperation opportunities with the working group. Additionally, HRMMU held a working-level meeting to encourage Ukrainian civil society organizations to file a general allegations letter with the working group, triggering another mechanism for addressing widespread practices of enforced disappearances. HRMMUs work with the General Prosecutors Office, and the State Penitentiary Service, Ministry of Justice, Chief Commander of Ukraine Armed Forces, and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs yielded noteworthy results in 2022-23. In 2022, HRMMUs active engagement secured its unimpeded confidential access to POWs from Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups held by Ukrainian authorities, as well as former Ukrainian POWs released from captivity by Russian armed forces. Later in June 2022, following extensive joint advocacy, Ukrainian Ministry of Defence informed HRMMU that they recognize the responsibility of Ukrainian armed forces to comply with the treatment of POWs in line with IHL, and that an interagency coordination mechanism was created to oversee the exchange and internment conditions of POWs. The Ministry reassured it constantly takes actions to inform Ukrainian servicepersons about IHL rules on treatment of POWs stressing that violations would lead to criminal responsibility. In March 2023, Ukrainian authorities took measures that improved conditions at the POW camp in Lviv region in line with HRMMU recommendations and advocacy. In addition, after HRMMU intervention, the General Prosecutors Office launched investigations on several incidents where Ukrainian servicemembers had allegedly killed or tortured Russian POWs, including incidents in Dmytrivka and Mala Rohan village in Kharkiv region as well as cases of enforced disappearances. Moreover, the General Prosecutor's Office ceased charging POWs with trespassing after HRMMU raised concerns over the practice. In June, HRMMU shared concerns with the General Prosecutor's Office about POWs from the Russian armed forces being charged with trespassing, which goes against relevant IHL provisions. The General Prosecutor's Office assured that such practice occurred only during the initial stages of the armed conflict and that it had instructed regional offices on the respective provisions of IHL. These results were brought about by consistent engagement with key duty bearers. To illustrate some of the actions taken, in June 2022, the Head of HRMMU met with the General Prosecutors Office to discuss access to POWs and the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine to discuss the conditions of internment of prisoners of war and HRMMUs access to them and to conflict-related detainees. This was followed by a meeting between the UN High Commissioner for Human rights and the Prosecutor General in December 2022, where the High Commissioner urged Ukraine to respect IHL and to send a message to its armed forces to respect IHL provisions. He also stressed the importance of prosecution of war crimes, and the importance of victim-centred approach to compensation mechanisms. In another demonstrative instance in August 2023, HRMMU presented its findings on treatment of prisoners of war to the Deputy Head of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine and heads of detention facilities and prisoner of war camps to disseminate knowledge of typical violations, increase understanding of the application of international standards in treatment of detainees and POWs and to discuss implementation of HRMMU recommendations. This was complemented by the October 2023 Head of HRMMU meeting with the Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters on Treatment of POWs, to discuss ways of enhancing protection of prisoners of war, retained personnel and detained civilians. On 21 December 2023, the Head of Mission engaged in an expert discussion focused on the internment and treatment of prisoners of war, together with high-ranking representatives from Ukraine's Penitentiary Service, the Coordination Headquarters on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and the National Information Bureau and the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Ukraine. HRMMU highlighted the progress made by the Government of Ukraine in ensuring the humane treatment of prisoners of war and shared HRMMUs recent observations and findings regarding identified violations. Through these and other meetings, HRMMU was able to inform duty-bearers of its findings, give advice on the applicable legal framework and best practices and advocate for human rights compliance. To ensure that due process and fair trial standards are respected, the Mission also engaged in monitoring trials in high-profile cases, including war crimes and crimes concerning conflict-related detainees with the view that that external scrutiny of judicial processes contributes to increasing their independence and quality. For example, HRMMU observed hearings in the cases of three Russian servicemembers sentenced for war crimes. The Mission expressed concerns over the lack of respect for the presumption of innocence, classification of the crime, and exchange of one servicemember who prompted the defendant to kill the civilian. In two cases, HRMMU observed that the interpreter did not provide any translation of the verdict read by the judge. HRMMU has also received allegations that defendants in such cases plead guilty without reservations to be included in lists for 'exchanges of POWs'. As part of the project, HRMMU participated in multiple events, including international conferences, dialogues, and roundtables to share knowledge about accountability mechanisms. Some examples include a panel discussion on justice and accountability organized by the Embassy of Sweden, attended by representatives of the international diplomatic community in Ukraine and by Ukrainian human rights defenders that HRMMU attended 23 November 2022 HRMMU. HRMMU stressed the importance of strengthening the national justice system to address the unprecedented number of human rights violations committed in Ukraine since February 2022. HRMMU also took part in a conference Stand Tall for the Rule of Law held in December 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. HRMMU discussed how to promote accountability for serious violations occurring in the context of Russias war against Ukraine, especially for torture and arbitrary detention, and human rights aspects of reintegrating persons after de[1]occupation. The conference brought together 150 legal professionals, scholars, and representatives of international organizations and civil society. HRMMU also attended the annual international forum on the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights organized jointly by the Council of Europe and OSCE. On 24 November 2022, the Head of HRMMU was part of a panel of experts invited to discuss the issue of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. The event was organized in Rome by the Italian Government to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. HRMMU provided advice on developing a comprehensive reparations legal and policy framework for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and other human rights violations. For example, in November 2022, HRMMU attended two technical workshops discussing reparations in Ukraine, the first for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, and the second for victims of housing, land and property (HLP) rights violations. HRMMU informed on the patterns of violations of HLP rights in Ukraine and called attention to previous legal developments, practices of compensation for housing destroyed by the conflict, and the shortcomings of the draft law currently developed in the Parliament. HRMMU also supported the capacity of civil society to enhance accountability for human rights violations. For example, in 2021 HRMMU organized an online webinar on remedy and reparation to civilian victims of the long-standing conflict in the East of Ukraine focusing on practical ways for victims to claim their rights and legal solutions for local authorities related to compensation and rehabilitation. The webinar was attended by 30 individuals representing partner NGOs, local authorities of Marinka district located near the contact line, and civilian victims from the district. HRMMU also delivered another training in 2021 to 36 young civil society representatives (27 women, 9 men) on how civil society organizations can work with UN human rights mechanisms. In 2023, HRMMU spearheaded a training session aimed at enhancing the proficiency of human rights lawyers in documenting human rights violations and effectively collaborating with international human rights mechanisms. Armed with this knowledge, the human rights lawyers are now better equipped to leverage these mechanisms in seeking to bring perpetrators accountable and seeking redress for victims. Result 4: Government of Ukraine benefits from human rights recommendations and tools to implement effectively the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP), which also includes key priorities on women, peace, and security issues. The Government of Ukraine adopted a new Human Rights Strategy and a revised National Human Rights Action Plan 2021-23 in March and June 2021, respectively. HRMMU's long-term support for the development and adoption of these documents, including through advocacy interventions, capacity[1]building of relevant human rights counterparts in the Government, participation in the working group drafting the documents, and leading the preparation of joint UN Country Team (UNCT) comments, allowed for the inclusion of many of HRMMU's recommendations in the final text of these documents. As a result, HRMMU helped shape the government's human rights policy to ensure that it is more compliant with recommendations from human rights mechanisms and integrates broader gender issues. Following HRMMU's recommendation, the Ministry of Justice also established an interagency working group to develop a methodology for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the strategy and action plan. Through this working group, HRMMU contributed to the design of the methodology and assessment of the strategy's implementation. Moreover, by coordinating the inputs of UNCT agencies, HRMMU contributed to ensuring a uniform and coherent approach by the United Nations. This increased efficiency and maximized the impact of the UNCT, as well as the credibility of the UNCT in relation to the government, which can see all the UN agencies acting as one. In autumn 2022, the Ministry of Justice began a process of amending the National Human Rights Strategy and developing new Action Plan for its implementation to reflect the challenges that emerged following the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. As with the previous renditions, HRMMU played an active role in advising on the applicable human rights standards and recommendations, raising applicable human rights issues and trends that should be addressed, and providing guidance in how to integrate these into the documents. The draft Strategy was provisionally approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and submitted to the President for final approval in September 2023. HRMMU provided expert advice to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) through the working group tasked with drafting amendments to the National Human Rights Strategy and elaborating the accompanying Action Plan. HRMMU led the preparation of joint UN Country Team (UNCT) inputs and technical support by coordinating UNCT comments on the draft Strategy and Action Plan. Among the main amendments proposed by HRMMU were the addition of a new section on remedy and reparations for civilian victims of the conflict, enhancing gender mainstreaming at the State and local levels, and ensuring non-discrimination and the promotion of social cohesion. Furthermore, HRMMU proposed several additional amendments related to the right to a fair trial and accountability, non-discrimination in relation to LGBTI, Roma, and persons with disabilities, freedom of media, freedom of peaceful assembly, the right to work and social protection, the right to education, human rights awareness, and the rights of detainees, IDPs, and residents of armed group-controlled territory. Several of the main recommendations put forward by HRMMU and other UN agencies under HRMMU's coordination were incorporated into the National Human Rights Strategy, which was finally adopted in March 2021. For example, the newly adopted National Human Rights Strategy included several provisions aligned with HRMMU recommendations, such as remedy and reparations for civilians injured or killed during the armed conflict; remedy and reparations for victims of torture (the Strategy initially only included compensation); promotion of gender equality in every sphere of life (initially, MoJ included only 'public' life); a comprehensive gender approach in drafting legislation and elaborating, monitoring, and implementing State policies; effective protection and investigation of attacks on Human Rights Defenders; compensation for damaged and destroyed property in the context of the armed conflict; compensation and rehabilitation for conflict-affected populations; elimination of the functioning of 'unofficial' places of detention; and effective investigation of attacks on participants of peaceful assemblies. These inputs are expected to increase the protection of the most vulnerable groups and ensure gender mainstreaming in all spheres of life through the new Strategy. After the adoption of the strategy, HRMMU continued to advocate for its implementation, beginning with the adoption of an action plan. HRMMU coordinated UNCT technical support to the Ministry of Justice in the development of the Action Plan through written recommendations during several rounds of discussions. The National Human Rights Action Plan, adopted in June 2021, incorporated numerous recommendations made by HRMMU and other UNCT agencies. These included improvements to regulations on handling peaceful assemblies, in absentia procedures, provisions of hate crimes, and the elaboration of administrative procedures for birth and death registration for residents of armed group-controlled areas and Crimea. Multiple gender aspects were also included, per UNCT recommendation, such as enshrining the definition of conflict-related sexual violence in national legislation and further improvements in combatting human trafficking and preventing conflict-related sexual violence. One recommendation HRMMU made to the Human Rights Strategy was ensuring transparent and inclusive procedures for monitoring, assessment, and reporting on its implementation. This recommendation was incorporated by the Ministry of Justice, which established an interagency working group, which was tasked on the assessment of the implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy. The working group consists of representatives from the government, civil society, and international organizations. As the UN representative in this working group, along with UNDP, HRMMU effectively contributed to the design of the methodology and assessing the strategy's implementation. Although the Ukrainian government's focus shifted towards the conduct of military operations and humanitarian response since the Russian Federation's armed attack, the Government showed willingness to continue the implementation of the Action Plan with the resumption of the work of the Interagency Working Group on the National Human Rights Strategy. In June 2022, the working group adopted the methodology for assessing the implementation of the Strategy. Several recommendations made by HRMMU were included in the methodology. In autumn 2022, the Ministry of Justice began the process of amending the National Human Rights Strategy and developing new Action Plan for its implementation in order to reflect the new human rights challenges that emerged following the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In October 2022 and January 2023, HRMMU coordinated UN comments and recommendations on proposed amendments to the Strategy. In September 2023, the draft Strategy was provisionally approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and submitted to the President for final approval. The Ministry of Justice endorsed 19 recommendations proposed by the UNCT as amendments to the Strategy, among others, reducing the number of people taken into custody by increasing the use of non-custodial preventive measures, implementing an effective national legal remedy system in relation to inadequate detention conditions, establishing a sufficient number of prisoner-of-war camps, ensuring uninterrupted service provision throughout Ukraine, ensuring the accessibility of free legal aid centres, and ensuring equal access to refugee and complementary protection application processes regardless of citizenship, duration of stay, and legal grounds of the stay in Ukraine. Through the working group, HRMMU continues to support the monitoring and assessment of the Strategys implementation. As of May 2024, the draft Strategy is pending the approval of the President. Following the adoption of the Strategy by the decree of the president, the Cabinet of Ministers will develop the Action Plan for its implementation for 2024-2026.

The overall goal of the project is to increase protection of human rights of men, women, girls and boys in Ukraine, covering the territory controlled by armed groups, Government-controlled territory and Crimea, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Specifically, the project aims at monitoring the human rights situation across the contact line with a view to strengthening the human rights protection of people living in conflict-affected areas. The analysis stemming out of HRMMUs monitoring will also be used to advocate with the parties to the conflict for changes to their conduct and practice, and for their obligation to address violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as providing humanitarian and development actors with information that will serve as a baseline for enhanced shaping of policies and assistance programs. To achieve these goals, HRMMU will work with the UN system, the Government of Ukraine, civil society organisations, the Ombudsperson and her office, international human rights mechanisms and organisations, representatives of the international community, and non-state actors in eastern Ukraine.