From 18 to 26 November 2024, a UNODC expert mission to Ukraine is taking place under its PACE.UA initiative (“Penitentiary Assistance in response to the armed conflict and related emergency needs in Ukraine”). The mission encompasses several capacity-building activities focused on crisis preparedness, prisoner rehabilitation, the management of special categories of prisoners and the integration of international standards for the treatment of prisoners into prison staff training curricula.

On 22 November 2024, the UNODC was welcomed by the First Deputy Minister of Justice, Mykola Kucheriavenko, and his senior management team. The meeting provided for an opportunity to review the implementation of the PACE.UA Programme, discuss strategic priorities for 2025, and explore areas for advancing prison reform efforts in Ukraine.

Harsheth Virk, Head of UNODC’s Office in Ukraine, highlighted the organization’s commitment to supporting the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine in addressing key challenges in the immediate, medium, and long term, including anti-corruption efforts, criminal justice as well as penal and prison reform.

Mykola Kucheriavenko emphasized that “Ukraine remains committed to implementing prison reform as a crucial component of the EU integration process, despite the exceptional challenges posed by the ongoing war. Systemic transformation under such circumstances requires closer cooperation and strong support from our international partners. We express our sincere gratitude for the technical and expert assistance already provided by UNODC as a trusted and reliable partner, and reaffirm our readiness to develop a penitentiary system that adheres to international and European standards and upholds the rights and dignity of every prisoner.”

Philipp Meissner, Inter-Regional Advisor on Prison Reform in the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section of UNODC Headquarters in Vienna, noted that “By strengthening contingency planning capacities while ensuring the humane treatment of prisoners, we jointly aim to build a resilient system that aligns with international minimum standards. This collaboration highlights the vital importance of crisis preparedness and adaptability in times of war, and underscores our shared commitment to justice reform through international cooperation and support.”

The partners valued the importance of continued cooperation between UNODC and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to drive sustainable reform, and to ensure that Ukraine’s prison system remains resilient and human-centered, thereby contributing to the broader goals of justice and the rule of law.

The PACE.UA Programme, “Penitentiary assistance in response to the armed conflict and related emergency needs in Ukraine”, is implemented by UNODC with the financial support from the Federal Government of Germany. The programme aims to strengthen the effectiveness, crisis preparedness and response capacity of the penitentiary system of Ukraine while, at the same time, fostering its compliance with international and European prison standards.