A step towards a modern, transparent, and understandable veteran policy: Government has approved the draft Veteran Code

At its meeting on November 26, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft Code of Ukraine on the Protection of Statehood, Independence, and the Status of Defenders of the State — a comprehensive document that aims to unite the entire system of veteran policy into a single, coordinated, and modern piece of legislation.

The document will then be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for consideration.

The draft Code was prepared by a team from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and its main idea is to create a unified, clear, and logical legal framework for all categories of male and female veterans, and their family members.

Currently, there are dozens of different laws and regulations in the veterans' sector, each of which is responsible for a separate area — status, social guarantees, rehabilitation, employment, education, etc. Some of the regulations date back to 1993, while others contain contradictions in various acts. All this complicates the process of returning defenders to civilian life.

That is why the Veterans Code is designed to eliminate contradictions between existing regulations, update outdated provisions, simplify procedures for obtaining social guarantees and services, as well as strengthen and formalize the state's responsibility to its defenders.

Who it concerns

The Code covers not only veterans of the current war and their families, but also:

• veterans of 20th century wars and their family members;
• families of deceased defenders of Ukraine;
• foreigners and stateless persons who defended Ukraine;
• victims of the Revolution of Dignity and families of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred;
• employees of enterprises and organizations who participated in defense activities, even though they were not military personnel.

This allows for the fair recognition of all those who contributed to the formation and defense of the Ukrainian state, ensuring honor and respect, appropriate guarantees, and opportunities.

What the Code contains

The document consists of six large structural parts — 'books.' Each of those regulates a specific area. In particular:

Book One defines and consolidates the foundations of veteran policy, its principles and objectives; determines the veterans and their status; regulates the work of the Unified State Register of War Veterans (USRWV); defines the mechanisms for financing veteran policy and the responsibility of the state.

Book Two defines who belongs to the veterans of the wars of the 20th century, their family members, and their legal status; what social guarantees are provided to them.

Book Three defines the legal status of veterans and foreign veterans, the legal status of their family members and the families of those who died (deceased), as well as state guarantees for these categories of people.

Book Four defines the legal status of victims of the Revolution of Dignity and family members of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, as well as state support.

Book Five defines the legal status of involved persons, family members of killed (deceased) involved persons, the procedure and grounds for granting the status of involved persons, involved persons with disabilities, family members of killed (deceased) involved persons, and what state guarantees are provided to them.

Book Six defines the concept of state veteran policy, its purpose, the entities responsible for its formation and implementation, and the powers of central executive bodies and local self-government bodies in the implementation of veteran policy.

In addition, the Code amends more than two dozen related regulatory and legal acts, including the Labor Code of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine “On Leave,” as well as a number of social, medical, and administrative laws. This will allow to avoid contradictions and ensure the full legal compatibility of the new document with the current legislation of Ukraine. At the same time, pension issues will continue to be regulated by pension legislation in order to avoid duplication.

Most importantly, Ukrainian veterans, their families, and the families of fallen defenders deserve a modern, orderly, transparent, and understandable system of comprehensive support, rather than chaos and outdated mechanisms. They sacrificed part of themselves for their homeland, and the state is obliged to respond with honesty, clear rules, and guarantees worthy of their contribution to the defending of freedom and independence of Ukraine.