Category: News

News

Sunflowers Launches First Intensive Course on International Criminal Law for Ukrainian Students

We are proud to announce the launch of the first intensive course on international criminal law, organized by the Foundation Sunflowers in cooperation with experts from the Krakow Center for International Criminal Justice.

This 15-hour program is designed specifically for students at the Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their achievement.

The course was developed in response to the growing interest in international criminal law among Ukrainian students and reflects our commitment to supporting legal education and professional development in Ukraine. Through expert-led sessions and interactive learning, participants will explore key aspects of international criminal justice and deepen their understanding of legal mechanisms in a global context.
News

Foundation Sunflowers and Legal Aid Coordination Center Launch Partnership to Support Ukrainians in Registering War-Related Damages

The Sunflowers Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with the Legal Aid Coordination Center of the National Chamber of Legal Advisers (KIRP) in Poland. Together, we are launching a joint initiative to assist Ukrainian citizens in submitting claims to the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (R4D), established by the Council of Europe.

Any Ukrainian citizen who has suffered damage as a result of the Russian aggression can now contact the Center’s helpline at +48 800 088 544 to receive free guidance and support in preparing and submitting a claim to the Register.

As part of this process, individuals also have the opportunity to contribute to international accountability efforts. When submitting a claim, they can simultaneously choose to share a testimonial with the Project Sunflowers’ war crimes database by completing a short form available here:
This partnership is a significant step forward in supporting victims of war and ensuring their voices are heard in the pursuit of justice.
News

67 Civil Society Organizations Urge EU to Defend the ICC Amid Escalating Attacks

67 civil society organizations, including Foundation Sunflowers, call on the EU (incl HRVP @kajakallas) to defend the International Criminal Court against escalating attacks on its mandate & mission.

Justice for victims of the world’s worst crimes is at stake. The EU must act now.

News

Foundation Sunflowers Extends Strategic Partnership with the National Chamber of Legal Advisers (KIRP)

We are pleased and proud to announce that the cooperation between the Foundation Sunflowers and the National Chamber of Legal Advisers (KIRP), which has been our official Partner since 2024, has been extended! 
 
KIRP is a nationwide professional self-government of legal advisers:
– as a community of all legal advisers, it acts for the benefit of individual and all citizens, realising the principle of social justice concerning access to legal aid,
– enhances respect for legalism by public authorities,
– upholds that public authorities act on the basis and within the law. 
For these reasons, KIRP acts in the public interest and for its protection. 
 
Foundation Sunflowers, which implements Project Sunflowers, supports international and national justice authorities in the prosecution and adjudication of the gravest crimes committed in Ukraine and endeavours to ensure that the damage caused during the ongoing war there is repaired. The Foundation works for the benefit of the international community.  
 
Since 2023, legal counsels have participated, among others, in open webinars organised by the Foundation. In addition, the National Chamber of Legal Advisers supported the Foundation in November 2024 in organising a conference on accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine and joint efforts to restore justice, and representatives of the legal advisers’ self-government were present at both the conference and the workshop on universal jurisdiction.

Read more here.
News

Professor Piotr Hofmański Receives Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Białystok

We are truly pleased and proud to announce that the Foundation’s Sunflowers ambassador, Professor Piotr Hofmański, has been awarded a doctor honoris causa degree by the University of Białystok. Congratulations Professor! Watch the video here. Read more here.

Photos: Łukasz Nowicki / UwB

News

Foundation Sunflowers Presents the 2024 Activity Report

We proudly present Foundation Sunflowers 2024 Activity Report!
 
Read the full raport here.
News

Professor Piotr Hofmański Awarded Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gdansk

We are truly pleased and proud to announce that the Foundation’s Sunflowers ambassador, Professor Piotr Hofmański, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Gdansk. Congratulations Professor! Watch the video here. Read more here and here.

Accountability for International Crimes Committed in Ukraine. Joint Efforts to Make It Happen. Post-conference report.
News

Summary Report from “Accountability for International Crimes Committed in Ukraine Joint Efforts to Make it Happen” Conference

The Post-Conference Report is Here!

We are pleased to share the report featuring key recommendations for the Ministry of Justice, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive and integrated approach to establishing accountability mechanisms for international crimes and support systems for victims. The conference participants and organizers have expressed their commitment to ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and state institutions to implement the proposed recommendations and further develop initiatives aimed at securing full access to justice for victims of international crimes.

On 13 of November, 2024, Foundation Sunflowers together with Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights organised a conferance on Accountability for International Crimes Committed in Ukraine. Join Efforts to Make It Happen. Honorable patronage was held by the Ministry of Justice. Organising the conference was supported by the Partners of Foundation Sunflowers: the National Chamber of Legal Advisers, Wolters Kluwer Polska, as well as the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), of which the Foundation is a member. In addition, an important contribution to the organisation of the conference was made by the EU Pravo-Justice Project, which has been working with Foundation Sunflowers since the beginning of Project Sunflowers. 

The conference was organized in response to the growing need for the exchange of knowledge and experiences regarding international criminal law standards and their implementation within the Polish justice system. The conference aimed to initiate:
  • Coordination of initiatives focused on prosecuting international crimes committed in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine,
  • A holistic approach to justice that considers the rights and needs of victims (a victim-/survivor-centered approach)
News

Foundation Sunflowers Partners with the Law Institute at KNEU

We are excited to share that the Foundation Sunflowers has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Law Institute at the Kiev National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman. This collaboration aims to foster research and dialogue on international law, bringing together experts from various academic institutions, civil society organizations, and judicial bodies.

News

Foundation Sunflowers Calls for Unconditional Support of the International Criminal Court in Light of U.S. Measures

In view of the measures imposed today by the U.S. on the International Criminal Court, its officials, staff, all those who support the Court in exercising international justice, Foundation Sunflowers has sent an open letter to Mr. Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, and Mr. Adam Bodnar, Minister of Justice of Poland, calling for unconditional support of the Court.