The Kharkiv International Legal Forum was founded in 2017 as an open international platform for discussing the most pressing challenges and issues facing the national and global legal community. The Forum was initiated by scholars from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.
The initiative to hold the Forum annually was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. An important milestone in the Forum’s institutional development was the adoption by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of Order No. 656-r dated September 19, 2018, “On Holding the Kharkiv International Legal Forum,” which stipulates that the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University serves as the primary organizer responsible for preparing and conducting the Forum. The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, and the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine have been designated as co-organizers of the Forum.
From the very beginning, the Forum’s mission has been to bring together leading scholars, judges, representatives of government agencies, international organizations, the legal profession, and civil society from around the world to develop common approaches to addressing the most pressing legal issues of our time. The Forum aims to promote the rule of law, protect human rights, foster international legal cooperation, improve national legislation, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
From its earliest years, the Forum has gone beyond the scope of a traditional academic event, evolving into a large-scale international platform for the development of new legal ideas, the presentation of research findings, the discussion of legislative reforms, and the formulation of practical recommendations regarding the development of Ukraine’s legal system and the international legal order.
The theme has become the Forum’s enduring conceptual foundation “Law and Issues of Sustainable Development in a Globalized World”, which brings together a wide range of pressing legal issues—from the development of constitutionalism, international law, justice, and human rights protection to digital transformation, environmental security, international humanitarian law, corporate governance, and Ukraine’s postwar recovery. This interdisciplinary approach allows the Forum’s program to be tailored each year to the most pressing global challenges, while maintaining its core mission—to serve as an authoritative international platform for professional dialogue, cooperation, and the advancement of contemporary legal thought.
The very first Forum demonstrated significant international interest in the new initiative. More than 500 participants from 23 countries gathered in Kharkiv. Among them were scholars, judges, attorneys, representatives of government agencies, international organizations, and the diplomatic corps. This successful launch confirmed that Ukraine is capable of hosting international legal discussions at the highest level.
The following years marked a period of active growth for the Forum. The second and third Kharkiv International Legal Forums significantly expanded the scope of international cooperation and the range of topics covered. In addition to traditional discussions on constitutional, international, and criminal law, the agenda now included issues such as the digital economy, cybersecurity, environmental law, international arbitration, the development of legal education, artificial intelligence, medical law, and contemporary challenges in the legal regulation of cutting-edge technologies. The forum has gradually become a meeting place not only for the academic community but also for representatives of business, international expert organizations, and government agencies.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a particular challenge for the organizers. However, even under these circumstances, the Kharkiv International Legal Forum continued its activities. On the contrary, the swift transition to online and hybrid formats made it possible to significantly expand the international audience and engage even more experts from different continents in the discussions. It was then that digital technologies opened up new opportunities for the Forum’s development, making it even more accessible to the global legal community.
A new chapter in the Forum’s history began following the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite the war, the daily shelling of Kharkiv, and the challenging security situation, the organizers did not cancel the Forum. On the contrary, it took on new meaning and gained special international significance. The central themes included international humanitarian law, the documentation and investigation of war crimes, the work of the International Criminal Court, mechanisms for holding perpetrators accountable for the crime of aggression, the protection of human rights during wartime, the reconstruction of Ukraine, sanctions policy, and European integration.
It was during this period that the Kharkiv International Legal Forum firmly established itself as one of the leading international platforms for discussing the legal consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Leading international experts, representatives of the governments of democratic states, international judicial institutions, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, diplomatic missions, and leading universities around the world actively participated in the Forum’s work.
Over the years, the Forum has significantly expanded the scope of its activities. While more than 500 people participated in 2017, by 2024 more than 1,500 participants from 37 countries had registered — an all-time record for the event.
Ще більш масштабним став IX Харківський міжнародний юридичний форум у 2025 році. Він об’єднав понад 2 600 учасників, у межах його програми було проведено 32 тематичні заходи, а трансляції дискусій після завершення Форуму переглянули тисячі користувачів на офіційних цифрових платформах. Це засвідчило, що Форум давно вийшов за межі традиційної конференції, перетворившись на постійно діючий міжнародний центр професійної комунікації. Загалом у форумі за 9 років взяли участь понад 15000 учасників.
Over the course of nine years, the Kharkiv International Legal Forum has become a meeting place for representatives from 50 countries around the world. This has reaffirmed the Kharkiv International Legal Forum’s status as one of Ukraine’s most prestigious international legal platforms.
An equally important component of the Forum’s success is its extensive international network of partners. Over the years, the Forum has been co-organized and supported by international organizations, diplomatic missions of foreign states, projects of the European Union and the Council of Europe, international donor organizations, leading law firms, professional associations, think tanks, and dozens of universities from around the world. It is precisely this cooperation that has ensured the Forum’s high international standing and facilitated its integration into the global academic and professional legal community.
Today, the Kharkiv International Legal Forum is more than just a series of panel discussions or academic conferences. It is a unique platform where new ideas are born, international partnerships are formed, legislative initiatives are discussed, the results of academic research are presented, and the direction of legal development is charted amid rapid global changes. Its history demonstrates how a university initiative has, in a relatively short time, evolved into one of Ukraine’s most prestigious international legal forums, bringing together thousands of participants, hundreds of speakers, and dozens of countries around a common goal — upholding the rule of law, protecting human rights, and advancing modern legal scholarship.