Назад Ukrainian judges trained to adjudicate terrorist financing

Ukrainian judges trained to adjudicate terrorist financing

In continuation of previous capacity building efforts and series of training activities for Ukrainian judges in the field of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the National School of Judges of Ukraine organised specialised online training “Countering Terrorist Financing: Judicial Aspects” for local Court judges.

In order to address the complicated subject of terrorist financing, the Council of Europe provided international expertise from judges of the High Court of Ireland and the district court of Rotterdam (Netherlands), and also invited the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) as well as the Security Service of Ukraine to delegate their own experts to contribute to the training by sharing their knowledge and experience in the matter from the national point of view. This combination of international and national expertise, besides enriching the technical content of the training, also served to enhance the awareness of Ukrainian judges on the role of key national agencies and promote their cooperation in the fight against terrorist financing.

The trainers guided 25 Ukrainian judges through basic concepts around terrorist financing, related international standards and their impact on national policy-making, as well as Ukraine’s international commitments to countering terrorist financing. Participants had a close look at the national anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing (AML/CFT) system and the particular role of the Financial Investigation Unit in it. An outline of the process of detection and investigation of terrorist financing, complemented by presentation of the national case law in this area, provided essential elements to the overall understanding of the current efforts to address terrorist financing in Ukraine. Due attention was also paid to important judicial aspects such as the standard of proof, evaluation of evidence and motivation of court decisions in terrorist financing cases.

The constructive discussions and active engagement of participants throughout the training reconfirmed the relevance and importance of the subject. Moreover, it clearly demonstrated the aspiration of the Ukrainian judges to develop their knowledge and skills related to terrorist financing, and thus paved the way for future elaboration of this area of work together with the national partners in Ukraine.

This activity was organised within the framework of the Project on “Strengthening measures to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Ukraine”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.

Online 5 October 2021
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
  • Imprimer en PDF
Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

Follow us on social media