February 19, 2026
On February 13, 2026, the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Council of Europe's project “Further Support for Constitutional Justice Reforms in Ukraine” was held in Kyiv. The project is being implemented in accordance with the Council of Europe's Action Plan for Ukraine for 2023-2026, “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction.”
The event was opened by Hilde Haug, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. In her speech, she emphasized that constitutional justice in Ukraine continues to be exercised even in extraordinary circumstances, and that the role of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine remains key to ensuring the rule of law and protecting constitutional values. Hilde Haug confirmed the Council of Europe's unwavering support for Ukraine and assured its readiness to continue to promote the implementation of the necessary reforms.
The participants of the event were also greeted by the Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Oleksandr Petryshyn. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Council of Europe for its consistent and principled support for constitutional justice in Ukraine, stressing that in the context of ongoing armed aggression against our state, complex security challenges and, at the same time, profound institutional transformations, such support is of strategic importance. Oleksandr Petryshyn stressed that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine continuously exercises its powers to protect human rights and key constitutional values. According to him, cooperation within the framework of the Project will contribute to deepening dialogue with the European constitutional community in order to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, protect democratic values, and uphold the rule of law.
The discussions were also joined by judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Oleg Pervomayskyi and Serhiy Riznyk, employees of the Secretariat and patronage services of the Court's judges, and representatives of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
The Steering Committee's work focused on agreeing on the organizational principles for further cooperation between the parties and identifying practical steps for implementing the Project. In particular, the participants discussed the Mandate and Terms of Reference of the Project Steering Committee. This format of work allowed for the coordination of approaches to the organization of planned activities and their implementation.
Project Manager Siuzanna Mnatsakanian presented the key aspects of the Project and planned activities. During the general discussion, the parties exchanged views on the priorities of the stakeholders and considered the Project's work plan for 2026.
The meeting ended with closing remarks by Oleg Pervomayskyi, judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, and Andriy Kavakin, project coordinator of the Council of Europe. They summarized the results of the discussion, noting the constructive nature of the Steering Committee's work and the importance of clear interaction between all parties involved.
