16.12.2025
On 12 December 2025, Kyiv hosted the IV Mariupol Constitutional Forum “Ukraine – Europe – World: Constitutional Dialogues in the Era of Global Challenges” which became a large-scale professional platform bringing together judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, representatives of state authorities, international organisations, and the academic community.
Opening the Forum, Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Viktor Gorodovenko emphasised that the event was taking place amid the Russian Federation's ongoing and unjustified armed aggression against the independence and sovereignty of our state. He stressed that the Mariupol Forum has become an established intellectual tradition and one of the key professional platforms for understanding constitutional challenges, forming visions for the post-war development of the state, and affirming the values of the rule of law, human dignity, and democratic resilience. The judge also emphasised that Mariupol has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance and resilience, and that the temporarily occupied cities of Mariupol, Melitopol, Donetsk and Luhansk remain an integral part of Ukraine.
On behalf of Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Oleksandr Petryshyn, Viktor Gorodovenko read out an address to the Forum participants.
The participants were also welcomed by Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Petr Mareš, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Hilde Haug, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Farkhad Farkhadov, and President of the Federation of Greek Societies of Ukraine Stepan Makhsma.
In their speeches, the speakers emphasised that open and professional dialogue between national institutions, international partners and the scientific community is a key factor in strengthening the democratic resilience of the state. It was stressed that in the context of the ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the role of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine as a guarantor of the rule of law, the protection of constitutional rights and freedoms, and the assurance of institutional stability is of particular importance. At the same time, emphasis was placed on the international community's unwavering support for Ukraine and its readiness to continue to promote the independence and effectiveness of the constitutional justice body through the exchange of experience, the development of practical recommendations and the implementation of best European standards with a view to strengthening public trust and ensuring sustainable democratic development.
During the first plenary session “Constitutional Stability During War: Occupied Territories, Frontline Communities and Challenges to Statehood” participants discussed key aspects of the functioning of state institutions in conditions of armed aggression, issues of protecting the rights of citizens in temporarily occupied territories, as well as mechanisms for ensuring law and order and good governance in frontline regions. Speakers drew attention to the problems faced by local authorities, the need for effective coordination of state decisions, and the need to maintain a balance between national security requirements and constitutional guarantees of human rights and freedoms. Special emphasis was placed on the role of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in shaping legal standards capable of strengthening statehood and ensuring the stability of democratic institutions even in wartime.
The discussion was attended by judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Vasyl Lemak and Oleg Pervomaiskyi, Deputy Head of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration Kateryna Bezhynska, and Head of the Department of Land and Agrarian Law at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University Tetiana Kurman.
During the second plenary session, “De-occupation and reconstruction: the constitutional framework for post-war order and recovery” moderated by judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Galyna Yurovska, attention was focused on the constitutional foundations of the post-war order, international guarantees of sovereignty, and prospects for democratic renewal in Ukraine. Experts from the Council of Europe and Ukrainian scholars emphasised the importance of aligning domestic reforms with international standards and identified key benchmarks for constitutional modernisation. The discussion also touched upon the relationship between legal and populist approaches to constitutionalism, as well as the advisability of a new constitutional reform in Ukraine prior to its accession to the EU.
Council of Europe expert and Head of the Department of Constitutional Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Olga Lotyuk, Director of the Scientific Research Institute of Comparative Public Law and International Law at Uzhhorod National University, Mykhailo Savchyn, Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment Tetiana Lomakina, Head of the Department of Procedural Law at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University Oksana Shcherbanyuk, and Head of the Department of Constitutional Law at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Olena Boryslavska shared their thoughts.
Within the framework of the Forum, three special sections were also held, dedicated to gender equality, European integration and the future of constitutional law. The moderators were Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Oleksandr Vodiannikov, Deputy Director of the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Head of the Centre for Legal Research on Gender Policy at the Institute Natalia Onishchenko, and Director of the Scientific Research Institute of Comparative Public Law and International Law at Uzhhorod National University Mykhailo Savchyn.
Experts analysed current challenges in ensuring equal rights in the security and defence sector, issues related to the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU acquis, the constitutional consistency of reforms, social rights in wartime, and ways to modernise the legal mechanisms of democratic governance.
The final session of the Forum was moderated by Viktor Beschastnyy Head of the Secretariat of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. He thanked the staff of the Court Secretariat and emphasised that everyone's efforts and coordinated work had ensured that the event was conducted at a professional level.
The Forum resulted in recommendations and conclusions outlining further directions for the development of Ukrainian constitutionalism. Key ideas included the need for stability of state institutions in wartime, the priority of human rights in reconstruction processes, transparency and inclusiveness of reforms, and deeper cooperation with international partners. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of involving a new generation of lawyers capable of shaping a modern legal culture and supporting the democratic transformation of the state.
