Global Rights Compliance

04/11/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Legal Researcher to join our team in Ukraine and support our efforts!
**This position is for Ukrainian Nationals only**

If you have the required experience and background, don’t miss this opportunity:

1 - Job Title: Legal Researcher
📍Duty Station: Kyiv, Ukraine
📆 Applications Deadline: 14 November 2024
Read the full Job Description through the following link: https://globalrightscompliance.com/2024/11/04/legal-researcher/

31/10/2024

🌍 GRC Supports ICC’s Victims Strategy Review

Last week, GRC’s Gender and Child Justice Division contributed to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) ongoing review of its 2012 Victims Strategy https://cutt.ly/BeFZXZkq

Our recommendations focused on:

- Broadening Victim Participation: Ensuring victims’ voices are meaningfully heard throughout all stages of proceedings.
- Improving Legal Representation: Allowing victims to have a greater input into the choice of victim representation and enhancing the effectiveness of representation.
- Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices: Focusing on healing-centered practices for victims and ensuring all staff are trained to incorporate trauma and cultural sensitivity.
- Adopting a Child-Centered Approach: Prioritising the rights and safety of child victims and promoting the participation and agency of children.

GRC remains committed to supporting a more inclusive and trauma-informed justice process.



For more information on GRC’s Gender and Child Justice Division, please see https://globalrightscompliance.com/gender-and-child-justice-division/

30/10/2024

🌍 Last week, Global Rights Compliance partnered with USAID Justice for All Activity on its Second Annual Conference, Justice in the Domestic Adjudication of War Crimes Cases, in Kyiv.

This event brought together over 170 participants, including Ukrainian MPs, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, academics, civil society representatives, and experts from the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, the Netherlands, and Germany.

During the conference, attendees examined the complex challenges faced by the justice system in handling war crimes cases and shared insights on best practices to support fair, impartial, and effective adjudication. Together, they identified actionable steps toward strengthening the justice process based on both national achievements and international expertise.

Morgan Grant, representing GRC’s Child Justice Team, contributed to a panel on Building Capacity of Judges to Effectively Adjudicate War Crimes Cases. Morgan highlighted the progress in equipping Ukrainian judges to address international law violations and discussed the need for a child-sensitive approach. Traditionally, international law has focused on adults, often overlooking the unique impacts on children or their inclusion in justice mechanisms. To address this, Morgan shared practical recommendations on how Ukrainian judges could incorporate child-sensitive practices with the support of GRC’s comprehensive training and mentoring programmes.

For more on GRC’s work in child justice, visit our Gender and Child Justice Division website https://cutt.ly/ReFOYwjZ

29/10/2024

🌍 Enhancing Interview Techniques for Justice in Ukraine 🌍

GRC has successfully completed a two-day practical training on the implementation of the PEACE model of interviewing for prosecutors and investigators from Sumy region. This session, building on a foundational workshop held in March, deepened participants' skills in detecting sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in detention settings.

Vitalii Dovhal, Head of the War Crime Department in Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, emphasised the importance of the event.
“The PEACE model training showcased a high level of professionalism and a deep understanding of the complexities involved in interviewing survivors of sexual violence during armed conflict. This modern approach to communication, focused on empathy and attentive listening, is crucial in handling such sensitive conversations. The session provided practical tools for conducting interviews that help minimize re-traumatization and uphold ethical standards.”

GRC’s SGBV Mobile Justice Team is a part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war.

*This event was organised with the financial support of the European Union in Ukraine. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Global Rights Compliance and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Read more https://cutt.ly/WeFn1usM

22/10/2024

Save the Date!

Conference: Strengthening Ukraine’s efforts to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and report on international crimes

🗓️ 19 November 2024
⏲️ Time: 12:45h
📍 Location: The Hague Conference Centre New Babylon, Anna van Buerenplein 29, 2595 DA Den

Join the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and Global Rights Compliance for the concluding event of our MATRA-Ukraine project. Over the past four years, the project has been developing tools for and supporting Ukrainian criminal justice actors and other societal actors in their pursuit of domestic accountability amid the ongoing armed conflict.

This conference will bring together Ukrainian, Dutch, and international experts to reflect on the progress made in accountability efforts and present tools developed to support domestic investigations and prosecutions of international crimes.

Key Panels:

- Strengthening investigation, prosecution, and reporting of international crimes in Ukraine.
- Incorporating child-friendly justice.
- Monitoring the fairness of domestic cases.

The conference is organised by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, with Global Rights Compliance, marking the culmination of our four-year MATRA-Ukraine project, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

See the complete programme and register here: https://cutt.ly/ZeDd6AdO

18/10/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Junior National Lawyer to join our team in Ukraine and support our efforts!
**This position is for Ukrainian Nationals only**

If you have the required experience and background, don’t miss this opportunity:

1 - Job Title: Junior National Lawyer
📍Duty Station: Kyiv, Ukraine
📆 Applications Deadline: 31 October 2024
Read the full Job Description through the following link: https://globalrightscompliance.com/2024/10/18/junior-national-lawyer/

18/10/2024

GRC representatives Wayne Jordash KC, Joseph Hollerhead and Julianne Romy, attended this week’s high-level meeting of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA) in Warsaw, Poland, which included the crucial exchange of ideas, experiences, and expertise to advance the successful prosecution of crimes committed in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Wayne Jordash, who is the Deputy Lead of ACA, presented to donor states Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, U.S. Department of State European Union in Ukraine GRC’s successes from the past 12 months and gave an overview of current challenges and an outline regarding its upcoming work.

ACA is a joint US-EU-UK initiative established to support Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General and is made up of - International Criminal Justice Initiative (ICJI) at Georgetown Law–International Development Law Organization - IDLO–EUAM Ukraine–EU Project Pravo-Justice–Global Rights Compliance

https://cutt.ly/SeSXoUlJ

16/10/2024

🌍 On World Food Day, GRC Publishes the Starvation Jurisprudence Digest 📝

As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing the crime of starvation and associated violations, GRC is proud to release the Starvation Jurisprudence Digest. This comprehensive and unique resource offers in-depth legal analysis, including insights from investigations and prosecutions by international bodies and courts.

The Digest provides:

- Findings from investigative mechanisms like Commissions of Inquiry (COIs) and Fact-Finding Missions (FFMs)
- Key court decisions from international, regional, and domestic tribunals
- A focus on violations of the right to food, water, and other economic, social, and cultural rights

Accessible and easy to navigate, the Digest supports legal practitioners, human rights bodies, and humanitarian actors working to ensure accountability and protect fundamental rights.

🔗 https://cutt.ly/aeSd7JpF

09/10/2024

📢 Upcoming Event with GRC!

We’re pleased to announce that GRC is co-organising, together with Control Arms and Quaker United Nations Office, and Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, an event at the upcoming Geneva Peace Week 2024.

Workshop: Mitigating the Human Rights Impacts of Arms Transfers: A Blueprint for Peace

The event is focused on the impacts of arms transfers and fi****ms availability which lead to violence and human rights violations. Participants will explore legal standards and collaborate on strategies to raise awareness and improve information collection regarding these issues to promote more peaceful societies.

🗓️Wednesday 16 October 2024
⏲️13:00 - 14:30 CET
📍GCSP- 5th floor (pétale 4)/ Hybrid

The registration form for attendees: https://www.genevapeaceweek.ch/en/register

Speakers:
- NAKIL BIERI, Consultant Analyst, Global Rights Compliance
- MWACHOFI SINGO, Lecturer, University of Nairobi
- DAVID MULLER, Legal Officer, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
- HIRUNI ALWISHEWA, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Geneva

Read more details on the workshop via the link https://cutt.ly/oePZAs5Q

Geneva Peace Week is a leading annual forum in the international peacebuilding calendar through which organisations in Geneva and their international partners come together to share knowledge and practice on a diverse range of topics related to peace across contexts and disciplines.

Read the Geneva Peace Week 2024 programme via the link https://cutt.ly/bePRQVaw

Stay tuned for more details!


Lara Strangways Jowita Mieszkowska Daniel Mack

09/10/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer to join our team in Ukraine and support our efforts!
**This position is for Ukrainian Nationals only**

If you have the required experience and background, don’t miss this opportunity:

1 - Job Title: M&E Officer
📍Duty Station: Remote and in-person as needed (Kyiv, Ukraine)
📆 Applications Deadline: 27 October 2024
Apply through the following link: https://grc.orangehrmlive.com/recruitmentApply/applyVacancyAdvanced/id/14

08/10/2024

On the one-year anniversary of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, GRC’s Vice-President and Head of the Starvation and Humanitarian Crisis Division, Catriona Murdoch, spoke to the BBC World Service to discuss how starvation is being used as a method of warfare in Gaza.
https://cutt.ly/xePUwrQl

Catriona, highlights the fact that Israel are using food and water as bargaining chips during the siege. She underlines the fact that “Senior Israeli officials have openly stated this tactic is the means not the end. The use of starvation as a method or means of warfare is clearly prohibited in international law and the issuance of arrest warrants for this crime for the first time by the ICC represents a significant development.” And highlights that “It is long overdue that this crime and its intergenerational impact upon civilians, not just in Palestine, but Ukraine, Yemen, South Sudan, Tigray and elsewhere are recognised.”
https://cutt.ly/YePUwnP1

Anna Gallina, GRC’s Gaza Project lead investigating starvation-related violations in Gaza highlights that Israel is using aid as a ‘bargaining tool’.
https://cutt.ly/QePUwAPU

“By obstructing, restricting, and denying aid, closing crossings, and deliberately attacking humanitarian workers, Israel continues to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining tool thereby violating the most basic humanitarian obligation to provide aid unconditionally.” Anna emphasises the “urgent need to investigate these violations under the lens of the war crime of starvation to ensure their calculated nature is adequately recognised and the rights and dignity of affected civilians are not overlooked in the shadows of conflict.”

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the acting leader of Hezbollah, said its military capabilities are still intact

04/10/2024

Discussing the Path for SGBC Victims in Ukraine’s Criminal Justice System

A roundtable, organised by GRC and supported by the European Union in Ukraine, gathered victim-experts, Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators, and international experts to discuss the challenges faced by victims of sexual and gender-based crimes (SGBC) committed in the context of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The event focused on improving the support for victims throughout the criminal justice process and sharing best practices to strengthen investigations. The outcomes of the event will contribute to building better victim-centered approaches in the prosecution and investigation SGBC atrocities.

GRC’s CRSV Mobile Justice Team is a part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war.

This event was organised with the financial support of the European Union.

24/09/2024

📢 Call for Greater Transparency and Accountability in Italy’s Arms Export Practices

A new report by Global Rights Compliance and the T.M.C. Asser Instituut urges Italy to enhance transparency and accountability in its arms exports.

As Italy considers amending its arms export laws, it is crucial that these reforms align with international human rights standards, particularly under the Arms Trade Treaty.

The report presents four key recommendations:

❗ Align reforms with the Arms Trade Treaty, boosting transparency and enhancing human rights risk assessments.
❗Strengthen risk assessments for all arms exports.
❗Ensure businesses comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
❗Involve civil society in consultations in all arms transfers.

The goal is to prevent arms exports that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL and ensure Italy’s commitment to ethical trade practices.

These recommendations will hopefully be discussed at the next UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2025.

Read more: https://cutt.ly/GeUwd0ws

20/09/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Junior National Lawyer & a Junior Security Officer to join our team in Ukraine and support our efforts!
**These positions are for Ukrainian Nationals only**

If you have the required experience and background, don’t miss these opportunities:

1 - Job Title: Junior National Lawyer (CRSV)
📍Duty Station: Kyiv, Ukraine
📆 Applications Deadline: 30 September 2024
Apply through the following link: https://grc.orangehrmlive.com/recruitmentApply/applyVacancyAdvanced/id/9

2 - Job Title: Junior Security Officer
📍Duty Station: Kyiv, Ukraine
📆Applications Deadline: 30 September 2024
Apply through the following link: https://grc.orangehrmlive.com/recruitmentApply/applyVacancyAdvanced/id/10

19/09/2024

On 16 September 2024, GRC Team Leads for Mobile Justice Teams Julianne Romy and James Hyatt had the opportunity to meet with Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Todd Robinson.

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is a valued partner to GRC, working within the framework of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group in Ukraine. The GRC representatives briefed Secretary Robinson on their organisations activities, including the operation of GRC's thematic and regional Mobile Justice Teams.

17/09/2024

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with civil society organisations (CSOs) to support the investigation and prosecution of conflict-related crimes.

This agreement is based on the 'Principles of Cooperation between Ukrainian Prosecuting Authorities and Civil Society Organisations,' drafted with the assistance of Global Rights Compliance (GRC) under the MATRA-Ukraine project.

This document aims to streamline cooperation and promote core principles of cooperation, including voluntariness, independence, and non-discrimination and rights-based approaches.

The Prosecutor General underscored the document's significance and the critical need for a robust partnership between prosecutorial bodies and civil society during these challenging times.

Ruby Axelson, Team Lead for the MATRA-Ukraine project at GRC, emphasised, “Effective cooperation requires clarity, mutual understanding, and continued dialogue. These guidelines are designed to foster a strong, principled partnership between prosecuting authorities and CSOs, guided by international standards and best practices.”

The MATRA-Ukraine project, a collaborative effort between the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and Global Rights Compliance, is dedicated to bolstering Ukraine’s capacity to handle international crimes. By supporting investigators, the Office of the Prosecutor General, judges, CSOs, journalists, and defence lawyers, the project aims to strengthen the country's judicial system and ensure accountability.

16/09/2024

GRC to Assist Chernihiv Prosecutor's Office in Investigating War Crimes Committed in the Context of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion

During a visit to Chernihiv, GRC Mobile Justice Team discussed with regional prosecutors and investigators priorities in investigating war crimes committed in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the most effective approaches to prioritising and building cases.

Chernihiv prosecutors and investigators are focusing on two categories of crimes: those committed during the active occupation of parts of the region by the Russian Federation Armed Forces, and post-occupation crimes (shelling of border areas, missile attacks on Chernihiv, etc.). During the meeting, they outlined the challenges in systematising occupation-related crimes, which were numerous and included willful killings, unlawful confinement, conflict-related sexual violence, artillery strikes, and others.

In response, GRC legal advisors provided advice on approaches to evidence gathering, crime systematisation, and mapping.

https://cutt.ly/JeTjUlkD

GRC specialists support the prosecutor’s office in processing cases and identifying perpetrators and involved parties. The Mobile Justice Teams are part of the International Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA Group), which was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

16/09/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Data, Visual Design & Storytelling Specialist to join our team and support our efforts!

If you have a passion in developing StoryMaps and have experience with visual storytelling, don’t miss this opportunity:

1 - Job Title: Data, Visual Design & Storytelling Specialist
📍Duty Station: Remote based
📆 Applications Deadline: 23 September 2024
Apply through the following link: https://grc.orangehrmlive.com/recruitmentApply/applyVacancyAdvanced/id/8

13/09/2024

GRC Meets with the Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer KC to Discuss the Investigations of War Crimes

Recently, representatives of GRC met with the Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, in Irpin near the destroyed bridge, a site marked by the devastation of the early days of the full-scale invasion. During the meeting, legal advisers discussed the ongoing challenges in investigating war crimes and shared their insights into the situation on the ground.

Lord Hermer KC reaffirmed the UK's commitment to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and justice, stating, "The UK supports Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its fight for justice. Russia must be accountable both for specific atrocities and its act of aggression. From the battlefield to the courtroom, the UK stands with Ukraine."

Lidia Volkova, GRC Legal Adviser, expressed gratitude to international partners for their continued support and emphasised the importance of GRC's involvement in the international Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group initiative.

"Ukraine is going through an extraordinarily difficult time, and now is the moment for the entire civilised world to consolidate its efforts to confront aggression and violations of international law and human rights. Our team is doing everything possible to support Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on their path to achieving justice together," Volkova said.

12/09/2024

United for Justice. Accountability for the Attacks Against Civilian Objects – GRC Participated in a High-Level Conference

The conference was opened by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Among the speakers were Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The representatives of the Critical Infrastructure Mobile Justice Team attended on behalf of GRC.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, more than 137,000 war crimes have been recorded, and over 184,000 civilian infrastructure facilities have been damaged.

Catriona Murdoch, GRC Vice President, highlighted the impact on civilians, food security and trade.

"As is clear, these attacks are interconnected by patterns and policies, and their impacts compounded. The attacks on energy make it impossible to store critical food crops in proper conditions, causing them to spoil. Attacks on water infrastructure and transformer substations mean that agricultural areas are prevented from critical irrigation. Yet what is clear is the use of these high-precision weapons systems, the coordinated and combined military forces - fleet and aviation, could only have been authorised at the highest strategic level of command within the Russian Federation Armed Forces," – summarised Catriona Murdoch.

The conference focused on raising global awareness about the devastating consequences of Russian attacks, which have affected critical infrastructure such as power grids, water supplies, and medical facilities.

GRC has been supporting and advising the Prosecutor Office of Ukraine in its investigations and prosecutions of war crimes in the context of the Russian full-scale invasion as a member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory (ACA) Group. ACA was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

Read more: https://cutt.ly/GeRTjjYe

11/09/2024

Zaporizhzhia Prosecutor’s Office, together with GRC, has identified priority areas in investigating Russian war crimes in the region. During the latest meeting in Zaporizhzhia, GRC legal advisers and law enforcement representatives set cooperation priorities and agreed on a further action plan. This includes the development of investigations in two key areas: attacks with S-300 systems and unlawful detention and inhumane treatment.

"Prioritization is essential. It doesn't mean that other crimes won't be investigated, but that the prosecutor's office will not consider each crime in isolation. Instead, they will see them as part of a broader system, showing planning and organization. This will allow us to build large cases and, in turn, trace command chains to hold senior Russian military leadership accountable," said Lidia Volkova, Deputy Team Lead.

Read more: https://cutt.ly/7eRa9sFf

GRC specialists support the prosecutor's office in processing cases and identifying perpetrators and involved parties. The Mobile Justice Teams are part of the International Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA Group), which was initiated by the governments of the US, the EU, and the UK to assist Ukraine in holding accountable those responsible for crimes committed during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

_____________________________

Прокуратура Запорізької області спільно з юристами GRC визначили пріоритетні напрямки у розслідуванні воєнних злочинів росіян у регіоні. Під час чергової зустрічі в Запоріжжі юристи GRC та представники правоохоронних органів визначили пріоритети співпраці та узгодили подальший план дій. Йдеться, зокрема, про розвиток розслідування за двома ключовими напрямками: Обстріли цивільних об’єктів із застосуванням комплексів С300 та неправомірне утримання і нелюдське поводження.

Мобільні команди правосуддя GRC працюють як частина Міжнародної Консультативної групи з питань найтяжчих злочинів ACA Group, яка була ініційована урядами США, ЄС та Великої Британії для допомоги Україні в притягненні до відповідальності винних у злочинах, скоєних під час повномасштабної війни росії проти України.

02/09/2024

Contemporary international armed conflicts pose new challenges for international humanitarian law, even when it comes to basic guarantees like the protection of civilians.

Who can claim protected civilian status under international humanitarian law? What determines the scope of guarantees and protections - one's legal nationality or actual allegiance to a warring party? How does this determination impact the situation of occupation, particularly cases of real or perceived collaboration with the enemy forces or obtaining the nationality of an occupying power?

GRC's legal advisors, Maks Vishchyk and Jeremy Pizzi, share their opinions on this topic in an article for the blog of the EJIL:Talk European Journal of International Law.
https://cutt.ly/ZeQ5ITiu

22/08/2024

‼️JOB ALERT‼️

TRANSLATORS in UKRAINE, we are looking for you!

We are seeking an experienced Translator to join our team in Ukraine and support our efforts!

Job Title: Translator
📍Duty Station: Kyiv, Ukraine
📆 Applications Deadline: 9 September 2024
Apply through the following link: https://globalrightscompliance.com/2024/08/22/translator/

20/08/2024

‼️📢Job Alert ‼️📢

We are seeking a Data Analyst to join our Business Human Rights team and support our efforts!

If you have a passion in analyzing and interpreting data, don’t miss this opportunity:

Job Title: BHR Data Analyst
📍Duty Station: Remote
📆 Applications Deadline: 8 September 2024
Apply through the following link: https://globalrightscompliance.com/2024/08/19/data-analyst/

16/08/2024

Global Rights Compliance representatives recently participated in a workshop as part of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut project "Restoring Dignity and Justice in Ukraine." The event focused on developing a handbook for legal professionals addressing issues of fairness in judicial processes within the context of the Russian war in Ukraine.

The workshop served as a platform for discussing the current challenges associated with ensuring fair trials during wartime. Participants included human rights defenders, lawyers, judges, and representatives of international organisations. They had the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss topics related to fair trial standards, the impact of the war on legal processes, and the specific challenges faced by lawyers and investigating judges under martial law.

The event, conducted under Chatham House rules, contributed to the creation of a more comprehensive and practically oriented handbook, which will become an essential tool for legal professionals in their daily work.
____________________________
Представники Global Rights Compliance взяли участь у воркшопі в рамках проєкту Інституту Ассера під назвою "Відновлення гідності та правосуддя в Україні."

Під час воркшопу учасники обговорили актуальні виклики, пов'язані із забезпеченням справедливого судового розгляду в умовах війни. В заході взяли участь правозахисники, адвокати, судді, а також представники міжнародних організацій. Вони обмінялися досвідом та обговорили питання, що стосуються стандартів справедливого судочинства, впливу війни на правові процеси, а також особливостей роботи адвокатів і слідчих суддів під час воєнного стану.