The shadow of war hasn’t quelled
the desire to meet in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of
Ukraine began on February, 24, 2022, but, remarkably, the country still hosted 593 conferences –
local, national, and international – in that same year.
Apart from providing
moral support and a much-needed boost to the economy, some of these events will have a
more enduring legacy tied to the atrocities being committed against Ukraine.
A
case in point was Lviv’s recent hosting of the United for Justice conference,
organised by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, which took place at the
beginning of March.
This conference hosted discussions on the increased coordination on accountability initiatives in relation to Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine. Lviv
was seen as the natural place for this meeting because two of the foundational ideas
in international justice come from this city. Raphael Lemkin, who
invented the legal concept of genocide, and helped create the genocide
convention, lived, and studied here. As did Hersch Lauterpacht, who developed
the legal concept of crimes against humanity, and helped to prosecute war
criminals in Nuremberg. In addition, Louis Sohn studied and worked in Lviv, and
his work still resonates in UN institutions and international justice today.
The
event brought together key national and international political and justice
officials, including the Presidents and First Ladies of Ukraine and Latvia,
Ministers, prosecutors and justices from several countries and the
International Criminal Court, as well as international and national NGOs. Over three days, there were many discussions on how best to hold Russia to account for its actions.
The
event will have a strong impact both in relation to justice for Ukraine
and for the world. At the conference, a Dialogue
Group on Accountability for Ukraine was established.
Its aim will be to
maintain multilateral coherence of action across accountability efforts in
relation to the war. Other outcomes included:
- The opening of the office of the
International Criminal Court (ICC) in Ukraine
- The creation of an
International Register of Damages
- A joint investigation
team (JIT) supported by the seven partner countries of the European Union
Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) to coordinate with the
International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression
(ICPA) and the Core
Integrational Crimes Evidence Database (CICED)
Yuliia Katynska, from the Lviv Convention
Bureau, said that meetings like United
for Justice made strong contributions to the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.
“Goal 16 is for Peace, Justice and
Strong Institutions, promoting
peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and
building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels,”
she said. “The long-term legacy impact from this convention will be the
increased international cooperation for the sake of justice, not only for
Ukraine, but world-wide.”
One month later, in April 2023, Lviv hosted another
important convention, which will directly affect the country’s war-wounded. The International Rehabilitation Forum
saw specialists from all over the world – doctors, experts, representatives of
international institutions, foundations, national Red Cross and Red Crescent
societies, including the Red Cross of Ukraine, converging in Lviv to discuss
solutions for the treatment, prosthetics and rehabilitation of war victims.
During the Forum, participants learnt about the UNBROKEN project and saw for
themselves the work of Ukrainian medics working in emergency conditions.
The Forum also included an international exhibition of the latest
rehabilitation equipment with participation from start-ups and IT companies who
facilitate the physical and psychological rehabilitation of affected military
personnel and civilians.
One such organisation was the Ukrainian company
Allbionics, which presented its prototype of bionic prosthesis using 3D
printing, and entirely produced in Ukraine.
Besides bionic prostheses, robotic
walking systems, exoskeletons, robogloves, body mobilization systems and other
cutting-edge technologies in rehabilitation were on show.
In addition to providing solutions for a better quality of life for the
permanently wounded and those left with disabilities, phase one of the Unbroken
National Center for Rehabilitation was opened as part of the Forum’s programme.
Yuliia added: “The center aims to be Europe’s largest and most advanced
rehabilitation facility. No
doubt hosting the International Rehabilitation Forum has helped to drive many
outcomes which will transform the trajectory of current situations. These
two conventions are just two examples of the business events which took place
despite the war, and aligning perfectly with our tagline: LVIV: Let’s create legacy together.”
Fast Facts – LVIV during the War:
● Shelter for more than 150,000 temporary displaced people from all over
Ukraine
● Centre for humanitarian aid
● Biggest volunteer hub in Ukraine
● Meeting place for international media, with approximately 2,000 journalists
from 50 countries.
● Office for international diplomacy
● A place for business relocations with more than 100 businesses relocated
to Lviv from the Eastern part of Ukraine
● And a place for conferences
