New Human Rights Protection Centre opens in Lviv, expanding nationwide access to essential rights and services

The network of Human Rights Centres across Ukraine continues to grow with the opening of a new regional centre in Lviv. This marks another important step in bringing vital protection services closer to people across Ukraine.

The centre has been established on the premises of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (the Ombudsman of Ukraine) and with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and local authorities.

The regional Human Rights Centres are designed as accessible spaces where people can receive legal counseling, information about access to human rights and direct assistance to resolve complex rights-related challenges affecting their daily lives, such as documentation issues for people displaced from temporarily occupied territories. Safeguarding the rights of people is even more crucial in times of a full-scale war, as risks for certain groups have increased significantly, including for internally displaced people, people with disabilities, older people and people at risk of statelessness.

Since August 2024, UNHCR has supported the Office of the Ombudsman in Ukraine in establishing similar regional centres in Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Odesa and Ternopil regions. Thousands of people have already received support in these centres since their respective openings, including 2,700 individuals in Zakarpattia, 2,570 in Ivano-Frankivsk, and over 2,100 in Chernivtsi (as of April 2026).

UNHCR has supported renovations and refurbishments of these and other centres, as well as provided equipment to support their services. This also includes helping to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility. “Russia’s full-scale war has dramatically increased the need for protection services and safeguarding of rights across Ukraine. Many people — particularly those forcibly displaced or otherwise in vulnerable situations — need support to understand and exercise their rights and to navigate often complex legal and administrative processes. Too often, people do not know where to turn for help, but by decentralizing these services and bringing Human Rights Centres closer to people, support becomes more accessible, practical and timely. Access to rights is life-changing. This and other human rights centers across Ukraine will ensure tailored and in-person help to people that need it the most,” said Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.

“From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, the Lviv region became one of the regions facing the greatest humanitarian challenges. It was here that hundreds of thousands of people found support and safety. Since 2022, the number of appeals to the Ombudsman’s Office in the Lviv region has increased by 248%, reflecting the growing scale of people’s need for rights protection and assistance. That is why we are opening a Human Rights Protection Centre in Lviv — to ensure support is even more accessible and closer to people. The Centre was made possible thanks to our partners, including the support of UNHCR. I am grateful to our international friends for this critically important support during such a difficult time.” said Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

The regional Human Rights Centres also function as spaces for information and outreach activities aimed at strengthening awareness of fundamental rights and access to justice. Particular attention is given to older people, persons with disabilities, and others who face barriers in accessing services. Across the country, the centres have already hosted hundreds of outreach events since they started their activities, including 112 in Zakarpattia, 105 in Ivano-Frankivsk, 81 in Chernivtsi, and 25 in Khmelnytskyi.

The strong, longstanding partnership and cooperation between UNHCR and the Ombudsman of Ukraine, which began in 2010, is formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding from August 2024. Beyond advancing the network of regional Human Rights Centres, the partnership spans joint protection monitoring, support to Ukrainians displaced abroad, legal awareness initiatives, and advocacy for the rights of displaced and stateless people, including those in the temporarily occupied territories.