Lviv during the war became a shelter for more than 150,000 temporary displaced people from all over Ukraine, center for humanitarian aid, the biggest volunteer hub, meeting place of international press, office for international diplomacy, a place for business relocation.

LEGACY OF ENSURING RULE OF LAW 


United For Justice Conference

In March 2023 Lviv was full of international lawyers, diplomats, politicians and NGOs representatives. The United for Justice conference brought together the world community for the common goal of ensuring the global rule of law by creating a network of comprehensive accountability for international crimes.
Lviv became the place to build a modern coalition of justice, which will strengthen international law and form a powerful legal response to the existing challenges of today.

The conference sessions focused on various accountability mechanisms for international crimes. The high-level panelists, with a wide range of backgrounds, discussed the prospects of investigating and prosecuting the crime of aggression of Russia against Ukraine as well as the setting up of a comprehensive compensation mechanism.
The deliberate targeting of the critical civilian infrastructure, alleged crimes of torture, filtration operations and forced relocations, conflict related sexual violence, crimes against children, the war’s impact on the environment, the fate of frozen Russian assets, and the role of NGOs in documenting international crimes were also addressed.

70 000 crimes were committed during the russian war in Ukraine and it is not the last number. Russian aggression continues, people suffer every day and new mechanisms are needed to prevent bad scenarios. Conference was held in Lviv – the safe city compared to the Eastern part of Ukraine, where russian shelling does not stop for a moment. City Administration, Police, soldiers as well as PCOs did their best to provide safety and comfort for foreign guests. It was not an easy task to hold a conference in shelters, but it was possible.

A few important initiatives were put forward on the margins of the Conference, including the Dialogue Group on Accountability for Ukraine, the announcement of official decisions on the set up of the Office of International Criminal Court in Ukraine, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) in the Hague in Eurojust along with the start of operations of the Core Integrational Crimes Evidence Database (CICED).

LEGACY OF PROVIDING REHABILITATION

International Rehabilitation Forum
After serving as a hub for millions of Ukrainian refugees who fled their homes during the initial phase of Russia’s full-scale war, Lviv has now taken on the critical role of providing rehabilitation services to the country’s wounded soldiers.


In April the International Rehabilitation Forum was held in Lviv. Specialists from all over the world – doctors, experts, representatives of international institutions, foundations, and European countries, as well as representatives of national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, including the Red Cross of Ukraine, came to Lviv to discuss, analyze and develop ways to provide quality rehabilitation to people affected by the war in Ukraine.


During the Forum, participants learnt more about the UNBROKEN project and saw the work of Ukrainian medics working in emergency conditions, joined the discussion and searched for strategic solutions for the treatment, prosthetics and rehabilitation of war victims.
Patients of the UNBROKEN Rehabilitation Center opened the Forum to tell how their rehabilitation was going. The second day of the Forum was devoted to the national policy in the rehabilitation sector, with ministers and people’s deputies joining the discussion.

During the Forum the first section of the Unbroken National Center for Rehabilitation was officially opened. The center aims to be Europe’s largest and most advanced rehabilitation facility. The seven-story center, equipped with the latest rehabilitation technology, is already assisting patients in need. It has the capacity to serve 10,000 people annually.
The new rehabilitation center building has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a robotic walking system, exoskeletons and robotic gloves that assist patients with arm movement. The building’s halls have been fitted with steel lifts to transport bedridden patients to rehabilitation rooms and pools.


Beyond the impressive facilities and cutting-edge technology, it’s the patients themselves who make the Unbroken center truly remarkable. For wounded soldiers who have sacrificed so much in defense of their country, the new rehabilitation center gives them hope and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

LEGACY OF TECHNOLOGIES

IT Arena Conference

In Lviv this year 1000 attendees gathered at one of the biggest IT conferences in Eastern Europe – IT Arena organized by Lviv IT Cluster.
It-specialist, entrepreneurs, investors, startups, and media from Ukraine andall over the world usiness. The huge conference was held in the shelter to follow all safety issues. The opening ceremony was at a unique venue – Lviv Opera House – one of the special authentic locations in Lviv.

It is not only about talking during a 5 panel discussion. It is also about the legacy and support of the Ukraine Armed Forces. At the opening ceremony Lviv IT Cluster together with the JustAnswer company supported the initiative of the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation and donated UAH 2,000,000 to the Boryviter school, which trains the military.
Moreover, the IT Arena Conference hosted a competition for Ukrainian startups and presented winners financial support.


The winner of the Startup Competition 2022 became WRAP, an app automating video production flows. The team won the Best Startup Award and a $20,000 prize from IT Arena, CRDF and USF. The team is originally from Lviv. They switched to full-time mode just a few months before the contest, working non-stop without getting paid. CPO Stephen agrees that this period was emotionally challenging.
Lviv IT Cluster, the initiator of the IT Arena, engages a lot of professionals to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces and civilians who suffered from russian aggression.
Together with partners they organized a project called “SKY”. It aims at technical modernization of the command and reporting centers of the Air Command West. Modernization includes a complete replacement of existing computer equipment, network equipment, and screens for navigation display systems. It is planned to also modernize the Air Command’s operations centers as part of the second stage of the project.