WARSAW, 24 February 2023 – A year after the launch of Russia’s military attack in Ukraine, the armed conflict is still having a devastating effect on civilians as they continue to be impacted by ongoing military strikes and subjected to other violence and inhumane treatment, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“The consequences of the conflict that started one year ago will be felt for generations to come by the people of Ukraine,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “We owe it particularly to the victims that we continue to document the human rights abuses taking place, and offer our support both during the war and in its aftermath. The human rights violations must end, and those responsible be held accountable.”

ODIHR has been monitoring violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Ukraine and their impact on civilians and prisoners of war since 24 February 2022. To date, the Office has conducted interviews with some 140 survivors and witnesses of violations both in Ukraine and outside the country, finding credible evidence that the conduct of hostilities by the Russian Federation has been characterized by a general disregard for the basic principles set out by international humanitarian law. The two reports published by ODIHR so far provide details of violations on the ground, including deliberate attacks against civilians, the use of indiscriminate weapons, wilful killings and summary executions, enforced disappearances, and torture, and helping to ensure accountability for violations of international law.

Ukraine has been a priority of ODIHR’s work in many ways over the last year, including in combatting human trafficking, training human rights defenders, and monitoring discrimination against Roma who have fled the conflict. But while rapid response has been the focus of much work to assist Ukraine, the country’s democratic institutions and civil society also need support. To this end, ODIHR is working to strengthen democratic governance and rule of law in Ukraine, promoting open, transparent and inclusive law-making processes and policies, and discussing ways to involve the Ukrainian diaspora in post-conflict reconstruction and development.

The OSCE is founded on the concept that the respect for, protection and promotion of human rights is a precondition for the security of the entire region. ODIHR underlines that all parties to an international armed conflict must abide by international human rights and humanitarian law, which expressly prohibits intentional and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and protects the civilian population at all times against violence and inhumane treatment.