On January 22, 2026, members of the team of the Roma Women’s Fund “Chirikli” took part in a seminar dedicated to the Roadmap on the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights. The event was held with the support of the EU Project Pravo-Justice and the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
Rule of Law Roadmap in the Context of European Integration
In May 2025, the Government of Ukraine approved the Rule of Law Roadmap (RoL RM). This document sets out specific commitments for aligning Ukraine’s rule of law sector with the EU acquis and European standards.
The Roadmap is structured around four key pillars: the Judiciary, Anti-Corruption, Justice, Freedom and Security, and Fundamental Rights. It serves as a strategic framework that includes a comprehensive set of measures aimed at harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU acquis, drawing on European standards and best practices.
Seminar Objectives and Practical Focus
The seminar aimed to familiarize participants with leading international and European practices and standards, as well as examples of effective reform implementation in EU member states. Particular emphasis was placed on practical tools that can strengthen the capacity of state institutions and civil society organizations to drive meaningful change.
Chirikli’s Position on Non-Discrimination and Combating Intolerance
Yulian Kondur, Project Coordinator at the Roma Women’s Fund “Chirikli”, emphasized the importance of addressing manifestations of intolerance and discrimination.
“It is essential to harmonize legal protection against discrimination with EU legislation, introduce accountability for intolerance and discrimination, and enhance awareness and training on the forms and manifestations of discrimination,”
he noted.
Protection from Hate Crimes and Hate Speech
Olena Levchyshyna, a representative of the Fund, participated in a seminar session entitled “Ensuring Effective Protection from Hate Crimes and Hate Speech through Legislative Criminalization and Improved Pre-Trial Investigation Practices.”
“In our view, the main challenge lies not in the absence of specific legal provisions on hate crimes, but in the systemic inability to identify the hate motive at the early stages of criminal proceedings. In addition, indicators of bias are often not recognized by law enforcement officers as elements of evidence in the investigation of such crimes,”
Olena added.
Continuation of the Work
The seminar will continue on January 28. The team of the Roma Women’s Fund “Chirikli” also plans to participate in the next session of the event.
We thank the organizers for the seminar and for their work to raise awareness in the field of protection against hate crimes and hate speech:
EU Project Pravo-Justice,
Council of Europe Office in Ukraine (Kyiv).
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