Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Supreme Court and UNICEF in Ukraine

The purpose of this Memorandum is to consolidate the efforts of the Parties aimed at strengthening the protection of children's rights, in particular by strengthening child-friendly justice in accordance with the standards of the European Union, the United Nations and other relevant international standards. The joint work will focus on ensuring that criminal, civil and other justice processes are adapted to the needs and vulnerabilities of children, so that the system takes into account the best interests of the child as a primary consideration in all processes and decisions.

During a meeting with representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund on ensuring the protection of children's rights in Ukraine, President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko noted that in times of severe hardship caused by war, children, who are a vulnerable category of the population even in peacetime, need additional attention and protection. In view of this, a wide range of issues arise, for the proper resolution of which the cooperation of the Supreme Court and UNICEF is extremely important.

Stanislav Kravchenko stressed that the Supreme Court highly appreciates the long and fruitful cooperation with UNICEF, which contributes to the implementation of international standards in the field of child protection in Ukraine.

The SC President noted that in recent years, national legislation has undergone significant changes that have affected not only substantive but also procedural law, and are also reflected in the introduction of specialisation in courts to consider the relevant category of cases.

Stanislav Kravchenko assured that the Supreme Court will be an active participant in all processes and projects aimed at developing child-friendly approaches to the administration of justice to ensure the best possible observance of their rights and interests. In this context, it is very important for the Supreme Court and UNICEF to form a common vision of ways to improve existing procedures and mechanisms related to the consideration of cases involving children.

Munir Mammadzadeh, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, stressed that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding opens a new phase of partnership, bringing it to a qualitatively new constructive level, and noted the value of open dialogue and cooperation with the Supreme Court.

According to him, UNICEF's priority is to support child-centred reforms, including the establishment of child-friendly justice and bringing the social sector closer to the justice sector to best serve the interests of children.

Munir Mammadzade also noted that the numerous risks caused by the war put children in a special category requiring additional protection measures, and in this extremely difficult situation, UNICEF and the SC should join forces to achieve the best possible results.

Olena Bilokon, Judge of the Supreme Court in the Civil Cassation Court, noted that the signing of the Memorandum is a step that will have a significant impact on the development of child-friendly justice in Ukraine, and stressed the important role of cooperation between the Supreme Court and UNICEF in developing effective mechanisms for the introduction and promotion of mediation as an alternative way to resolve family disputes in order to achieve peaceful, fair solutions in the best interests of children.

The meeting was also attended by Van Chi Pham, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Ukraine, Mykola Shalakhin, Senior Assistant to the UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, Vitalii Starikov, Child Protection Project Manager at UNICEF Ukraine, Yevhen Synelnykov, Judge of the Supreme Court in the Civil Cassation Court, Rasim Babanly, First Deputy Chief of Staff - Head of the Department for Analytical and Legal Work of the Supreme Court, and Lina Hubar, Head of the Division for International Cooperation of the Supreme Court.