General Purposes

About this grant

This grant will assist the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union in their efforts to increase access to justice in Ukraine through protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. Through its member organizations, which operate 19 public reception offices, the grantee will raise public awareness of the law and human rights through a range of monitoring, advocacy and educational activities. It will provide legal information and services through its network of reception offices and will systematically examine opportunities for strengthening this network in the context of decentralization reforms. The grantee will conduct strategic litigation and advocacy on critical issues arising from cases brought to its attention with a view to influencing systemic change in legal practice. In 2019–2020, the grantee provided nearly 20,000 individual consultations through its legal aid centers, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It strengthened the operational efficiency of its reception centers, through important court victories, set important precedents for limiting pre-trial detention and treatment of suspects. Established in 2004, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union works to promote practical observance of the range of international human rights instruments to which Ukraine is a party.