Kyiv, Ukraine, 30 April 2025 – In a significant step toward aligning investigative practices with international standards, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme Office in Ukraine and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section, in collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, UNDP in Ukraine, and JustGroup, jointly launched the Ukrainian version of the UN Manual on Investigative Interviewing for Criminal Investigations and th UNODC self-paced eLearning modules on the same topic. These tools aim to enhance the capacities of police, prosecutors and other criminal justice practitioners by providing guidance on conducting ethical, effective, and human rights-compliant interviews with victims, witnesses, and suspects.
The opening session underscored the importance of establishing investigative interviewing as a shared standard across institutions within the criminal justice system. Oleksii Khomenko, Acting Prosecutor General of Ukraine, emphasized that the manual will support both prosecutors and pre-trial investigation bodies in aligning their work with international obligations, particularly in the context of war crimes.
Judge Mykola Hnatovskyi of the European Court of Human Rights noted that the investigative interviewing framework offers practitioners “the tools—indeed, the means—to conduct effective investigations while ensuring sufficient respect for human rights.” He expressed confidence that the manual represents a significant step toward addressing Ukraine’s pressing challenges in the investigation of war crimes, where the State bears heightened responsibilities under international humanitarian law and through its cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
The event brought together high-level representatives from national and international institutions, reflecting the broad collaboration behind this initiative. Interventions were delivered by Jaco Cillier, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine; Harsheth Virk, UNODC Head of Office in Ukraine; Ivan Vyhivskii, Head of the National Police; Polina Lysenko, Acting Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau; Serhii Naumiuk, Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine; and Marharyta Sokorenko, Government Agent to the European Court of Human Rights. Additional remarks were shared remotely by Gisle Kvanvig, Director of Multilateral Cooperation at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights; Oleksandr Morhunov, Rector of the Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs; and Dmitri Alechkevitch, Policy Adviser at the UN Department of Peace Operations. The event was moderated by Vasylyna Yavorska, JustGroup Team Leader.
A session followed on the practical use of the manual and the eLearning modules. Gisle Kvanvig noted that “professionalism in this context means a commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and democratic criminal justice—but also to better evidence, and evidence that stands the test of trial.”
Yurii Bielousov, Head of the War Crimes Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, emphasized that the manual provides clear guidance on how to obtain essential information without infringing on human rights—an approach that is essential to explain and apply in practice. He highlighted its particular importance in the context of armed conflict, where investigators and prosecutors frequently face constraints that prevent follow-up interviews with witnesses and victims.
Volodymyr Vasylchuk, Senior Detective at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Anna Giudice, Team Leader of UNODC’s Access to Justice Team, spoke to the relevance of the manual and digital training tools in strengthening investigative capacity across the justice chain.
Regarding the digital tools presented, the eLearning modules offer an accessible and interactive training experience tailored to criminal justice professionals across various roles and locations. Hosted on the UNODC Global eLearning Platform and available in Ukrainian and several other languages, the series includes three core modules—taking approximately 195 minutes in total—that guide users through the step-by-step methodology of investigative interviewing. In addition, shorter modules of around 40 minutes each address key topics such as memory, communication, investigative management, and decision-making.
The platform is mobile-accessible and offers flexible use in remote areas or field operations, ensuring that training is available regardless of location. Notably, the eLearning is increasingly used to prepare participants ahead of in-person training sessions, enabling more advanced and effective engagement.
This initiative represents a tangible advancement in Ukraine’s broader effort to professionalize its criminal justice system, strengthen institutional compliance with international standards, and promote a rights-based approach to justice.
