The model for legal assistance to veterans was discussed at the UNBA

A working meeting was held at the Ukrainian National Bar Association, during which representatives of the advocacy profession, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and a foreign expert discussed approaches to providing legal aid to veterans, the role of the advocacy profession in this system, and the experience of other countries.

President of the Ukrainian National Bar Association and the Bar Council of Ukraine Lidiya Izovitova held a working meeting with Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Farhad Farhadov. The meeting took place within the framework of a memorandum of cooperation between the UNBA and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.

The parties discussed further joint steps in establishing a system for providing veterans with high-quality professional legal aid. It was emphasized that this issue is relevant for both advocacy and the Ministry, as it concerns ensuring veterans’ constitutional right to professional legal aid, which must be provided by an advocate.

Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Farhad Farhadov noted that a significant body of regulatory and legal acts has already been developed in the field of veterans’ policy, which, due to its specific nature, effectively constitutes a separate area of legal regulation. This, in turn, necessitates specialized knowledge and proper professional training for advocates who will provide legal assistance to veterans.

«It is essential for us that the system of legal assistance for veterans is not merely formal but actually effective. This means the professionalism of advocates, their specialization, and effective cooperation with all institutions working in the field of veteran policy», - noted Farkhad Farkhadov.

In this context, within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation, the parties also discussed the possibility of conducting specialized training for advocates with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.

Special attention during the meeting was given to issues of organizing communication in the field of providing legal aid to veterans. Representatives of the Ukrainian National Bar Association reported on the development of the «Advocate+» digital platform and highlighted its potential as a tool for coordinating the provision of legal aid. In particular, the discussion focused on an approach whereby advocates with relevant specializations and specialized training are engaged to work with veterans, which will help ensure the proper quality of legal aid.

The working meeting was also attended by a veteran, retired British Armed Forces officer and the UK Government’s Commissioner for veterans’ policy in Northern Ireland, Kingsley Donaldson. He emphasized the importance of adequately protecting veterans’ rights and the need to involve the veteran community in developing effective legal aid mechanisms. According to him, such mechanisms must be developed with an emphasis on trust, camaraderie, and the active participation of the veterans themselves.

Farhad Farhadov also highlighted the specific nature of the Ukrainian veterans’ experience. He noted that, despite the relatively recent establishment of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine in 2018, the experience gained since 2022 is unique, as it concerns veterans who defended and continue to defend their own country.

It was also noted that Ukraine already has a regional network of specialists supporting war veterans and demobilized individuals, for whom a professional standard has been developed. Currently, there are about 2,500 such specialists, nearly half of whom are veterans. To manage requests from veterans, improve the quality and speed of service delivery, and ensure transparency in the Ministry of Veterans Affairs’ processes, a digital tool (CRM system) has been specially developed for support specialists.