Last week, our team had the privilege to contribute to the Lviv Summer Law School on International Law co-organized by the Ukrainian catholic university, where future legal professionals from all over Ukraine came together to learn, discuss, and challenge ideas.
Over the course of the program, our colleagues, including the Head of Mission Danielle Bell, delivered thought-provoking lectures on issues shaping Ukraine and the world. Topics included:
UN human rights system: how human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms of the Human Rights Council can promote and protect human rights
Human rights as a tool to promote justice, accountability and rule of law
Examples from other countries of how UN Human Rights field presences can help operationalize human rights norms and protections
Current human rights challenges in Ukraine: human rights violations, the law of occupation, and criminal prosecution for collaboration.
We appreciated the active engagement of the students, including their thoughtful questions and robust debates that followed the lectures.
“Opportunities like these remind us why sharing knowledge and practical experience matters,” Ms Bell said. “Human rights are not just legal principles – they are the foundation of justice and dignity, especially in times of war, such as in Ukraine. Schools like this prepare future lawyers to defend those rights when they matter most.”
Photo: Lviv Summer School of International Law