In the Hague, Lidiya Izovitova, Valentyn Gvozdiy and Ivan Grechkivsky took part in the conference "EU and Eastern Partnership"

Lidiya Izovitova, President of Ukrainian National Bar Association, Valentyn Gvozdiy, UNBA Vice-President, and Ivan Grechkivsky, Chair of UNBA International Relations Committee, took part in the EU-Eastern Partnership Neighborgood in the Hague (Netherlands).
The event is organized by a public organization, the LINKS Europe Foundation in cooperation with the City of Hague and with the support of The Hague Humanity Hub.
Opening the conference, LINKS Europe Director Dennis Sammut noted that all speakers would pay close attention to issues related to Ukraine.
"We have made Ukraine the center of this conference because this country is very important, but it is not always understood or appreciated," he said.
The Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for Europe and the Eastern Partnership, Jaap Fredericks, emphasized that in the context, Eastern Partnership countries facing numerous challenges to their stability, including external ones, the rule of law is of particular importance.
"It is in our personal interest, as the EU, to invest in stability on our eastern borders. We are convinced that in this context, strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law, and media freedom will make our partner countries more resilient, ”he said.
According to Antoinette Dimitrova, a professor at Leiden University, the rule of law should be given constant attention, as should media independence.
"The rule of law cannot be maintained if people do not understand what is happening, as well as without transparency," Ms. Dimitrova said.
Opening the session of the conference "EU and the rule of law in the Eastern Partnership countries: the example of Ukraine", Lidiya Izovitova presented the example of the bar as an institution created to implement the recommendations of European partners in the field of rule of law.
UNBA President reminded that the establishment of an independent organization of advocates was one of the conditions for concluding the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, ie it contributed not only to ensuring the rule of law in Ukraine, but also to fulfilling its international obligations.
"European standards for advocates in Ukraine have been applied for more than 9 years. This is an important contribution to the rule of law. This is important for the transformation of the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens into real opportunities and the introduction of mechanisms for their protection," UNBA President stressed.
Lidiya Izovitova said that today UNBA unites more than 62 thousand advocates who are completely independent of the state, the organization of their work is provided by a self-governing organization. Work is also under way to implement the recommendations of the Council of Europe that any changes to the law on the bar be made only after consultation with UNBA, but unfortunately this principle is not always followed.
She stressed that UNBA is actively developing relations with colleagues from other countries, including Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, Lithuania and Georgia. The Association is an observer in the largest organization of advocates in Europe - CCBE and develops cooperation with the IBA - the International Bar Association.
"Cooperation with foreign organizations of advocates is not a unilateral process for us. We have something to share: the experience of creating an association "from scratch" and successfully implemented projects, "said Lidiya Izovitova.
Among such projects, she mentioned the creation and development of the Unified Register of Advocates of Ukraine, as well as the development of a system of professional development and the creation of increasing opportunities for online training.
In turn, Valentyn Gvozdiy stressed that one of the keys to success in the establishment of UNBA was the involvement of representatives of all generations of advocates, as well as non-interference of the association in political processes.
Assessing the situation with the rule of law in Ukraine, he noted that in fact it is not as bad as Ukraine's foreign partners sometimes think.
During the conference, UNBA representatives also answered questions from the audience about the situation with lawsuits filed by the European Court of Human Rights from Ukraine, judicial reform and ensuring the rights of minorities.
Popular news

Advocacy
Another conflict with the TCC: an advocate's leg was broken and his client jumped out of a window
On June 19, at the premises of the military medical commission, where a bus from the Krasnograd Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support delivered several people, an incident occurred involving the use of physical force against an advocate.

Advocacy
The Bar Council of Ukraine appealed to the High Council of Justice due to delays in forming the Competition Commission of t…
On June 13, 2025, Lidiya Izovitova, President of the Bar Council of Ukraine, addressed Grigory Usik, Head of the High Council of Justice, regarding the violation of the deadlines for forming a new composition of the Competition Commission for the selection of members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine.

Advocacy
UNBA calls for compliance with Council of Europe standards for the legal profession
The recently approved roadmap for EU accession in terms of bar reform refers to non-existent European standards and was adopted in violation of international principles. Therefore, before talking about changes, it is necessary to compare the current model of the bar with the Council of Europe standards embodied in the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer.

Advocacy
Mobilization of advocates in court: UNBA records another case of pressure
The Ukrainian advocacy has once again faced extrajudicial influence on advocates with the aim of obstructing the exercise of their legitimate powers related to the provision of professional legal assistance to clients.

Advocacy
BCU demands verification of authenticity of SSU letter on «dangerous» advocacy
The Bar Council of Ukraine will appeal to the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, regarding the verification of information about «negative trends in the legal profession» disseminated by some media outlets on behalf of the SSU.

Advocacy
Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Advocate open for signature
Thirteen member states of the Council of Europe have signed the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Advocate, which was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on March 12, 2025. Four more countries will do so today. Ukraine is not among them.

Advocacy
BCU initiates resolution of the issue of visits by advocates to convicted persons
Article 110 of the Criminal Enforcement Code guarantees convicted persons confidentiality of meetings with their advocate. One of the important elements is the possibility to communicate with an advocate in a room without a solid partition. In practice, this provision of the law is systematically violated.

Advocacy
Advocates, academics, and experts examine problems in forensic examination (video)
The Ukrainian National Bar Association, in cooperation with leading scientific and research institutes of forensic expertise, organized a round table on expert support for legal practice.
Publications

Ihor Kolesnykov A BRIEF SUMMARY REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE ORDER ON EXTENDED CONFISCATION IN LATVIA REGARDING FINANCIAL ASSETS OF…

Valentyn Gvozdiy WORKING IN A WAR ZONE

Lydia Izovitova Formula of perfection

Sergiy Vylkov Our judicial system is so built that courts do not trust advocates

Iryna Vasylyk Advocacy in the proclamation of Independence of Ukraine

Oleksandr DULSKY When we cross the border of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court, we get into another department of the National Anti-Corruption…

Vadym Krasnyk The UNBA will work, and all obstacles and restrictions are only temporary inconveniences

Lydia Izovitova Interview with Lydia Izovitova on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the founding of UNBA: We are the voice of t…