This November, the Ukrainian Bar Association and UBA Human Rights Institute will host two landmark events in Toronto during the IBA Annual Conference:

November 3 — Open Ukraine: Justice AND Peace (only for IBA Annual Conference delegate). Focused on transitional justice, accountability, post-war reconciliation, and the role of the global legal community in rebuilding institutions and protecting war-affected populations.

REGISTRATION (only for IBA Annual Conference delegate)

November 4 — Justice Under Fire:  The Legal Profession’s Role in Ukraine’s Response to Aggression (public event). Gathering Canadian and Ukrainian legal professionals, policymakers, academia, civil society, and donors to discuss the challenges of practicing law during aggression, protecting women, children, and displaced persons, and shaping Canada’s long-term support for Ukraine.

Open Ukraine: Justice AND Peace — Ukraine’s Legal Frontline

A breakfast conversation on post-war reconciliation and Ukraine’s legal transformation

Monday, 3 November 2025 | 08:00–09:15 | Metro Toronto Convention Centre

In the framework of the IBA Annual Conference 2025

Event concept

As Ukraine strives to end the war and start healing, the role of legal professionals extends far beyond accountability. Lawyers are now facing the challenge of helping rebuild a post-conflict society, ensuring justice for victims, reintegrating communities, and transforming institutions.

This high-level breakfast brings together leading voices from Ukraine’s legal frontlines — prosecutors, human rights defenders, diplomats, and business leaders — to reflect on how law and justice can contribute not just to peace, but to a more democratic, inclusive, and resilient Ukraine

Objectives

To raise awareness about Ukraine’s evolving justice landscape amid recovery and reconciliation, examine how legal tools can contribute to societal  healing, transitional justice, and post-war transformation, as well as to promote international legal solidarity as a cornerstone of Ukraine’s long-term peace and integration into the rule-of-law community.

The discussion will explore:

• What does “justice” mean in a society emerging from war?
• How can Ukraine balance accountability with national unity and reintegration?
• What legal frameworks and institutional reforms are needed to support social transformation?
• How can international legal actors meaningfully support Ukraine’s transition from resistance to renewal
• How the Human Rights Institute of the Ukrainian Bar Association is addressing systemic justice gaps and building long-term legal resilience.

AGENDA:

Moderator: Mykola Stetsenko, Ukrainian Bar Association, Kyiv, Ukraine; President

08:00–08:05. Opening Remarks: Reimagining Justice in Post-War Ukraine

Setting the tone for a conversation on rebuilding trust, upholding the rule of law, and preparing for peace.

Mykola Stetsenko, Ukrainian Bar Association, Kyiv, Ukraine; President

08:05–08:30. Justice as a Foundation for Reconciliation

Insights into how justice mechanisms — from national prosecutions to international tribunals — can support healing and prevent cycles of violence.

Mark Ellis, International Bar Association, London, UK; Executive Director

Andrii Ovsiienko, Office of the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyiv, Ukraine; Representative on Judiciary Matters

Andriy Kostin, Embassy of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, The Hague, the Netherlands; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Prosecutor General of Ukraine (2022–2024) 

08:30–09:00. Repairing the Social Fabric: Rights of War-Affected Populations

How legal responses to the war’s human toll — particularly on women, children, and displaced populations — can contribute to societal cohesion.

Inna Liniova, Ukrainian Bar Association, Kyiv, Ukraine; Head, Human Rights Institute

Alisa Kovalenko, Ukrainian filmmaker and a servicewoman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

09:00–09:15. Global Legal Solidarity: What’s Next?

Open dialogue on how the international legal community can assist Ukraine in post-war transformation, peacebuilding, and sustainable institutional change.

Contact person: Inna Liniova, Director, UBA’s Human Rights Institute
iliniova@uba.ua, +380 95 471 1556, +1(612) 283-3073