The international activity of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine (the KFI) is aimed at establishing relations and cooperation with international organizations, programs and projects of international technical assistance in order to use the best world experience in the activities of the leading forensic institution of Ukraine.

 

The Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is in international relations with scientific institutions, educational institutions of foreign countries, international and non-governmental establishments and organizations in accordance with Art. 24 of the Law of Ukraine “On Forensic Expertise” holding joint conferences, symposia, seminars and exchanging specialists within the framework of international projects and programs and outside the relevant programs.

 

In 2017, the KFI became a member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)

 

European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) is one of the world’s most important united organizations of forensic institutions. This network includes all leading European expert institutions.The task of ENFSI is to promote cooperation in the field of forensics of forensic institutions in European countries, to disseminate knowledge and experience and to conclude agreements between organizations. Constant contacts with the experts of the KFI within the framework of the work of the ENFSI working groups allow them to receive up-to-date information about new achievements in the expert field, exchange experience with colleagues and bring the best achievements to the practice of the KFI.

 

Participation of the KFI representative in the ENFSI Working Group, Basque Country (Spain). 2021

 

Study tour of the KFI specialists, Miskolc (Hungary). 2022

 

Since 2019, the KFI has become the first institution among the expert research institutions of forensic expertise of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to participate in the CEPOL exchange program – the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL). CEPOL provides an opportunity to become participants in the exchange program for forensic experts and specialists of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, who have become active participants in the exchange and training program on the Leed CEPOL educational platform. CEPOL promotes cooperation and knowledge sharing among EU law enforcement officials (including third countries), and now forensic institutions, on issues arising from the EU’s security priorities, in particular in terms of the EU Organised Crime Policy. In the countries cooperating with CEPOL, there are National CEPOL Units (National Contact Points).

 

Nataliia Nestor`s participation in a meeting of top European forensic managers, Prague (Czech Republic). 2022

 

Work trip of the KFI experts within the framework of the TAIEX program, Vantaa (Finland). 2019

 

The priority in the international activities of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is also the use of the TAIEX (Technical Assistance Information Exchange) tool. It is a type of external assistance provided by the European Commission for the exchange of information in order to build the institutional capacity necessary for the adaptation of national legislation to the acquis communautaire. Within the framework of the TAIEX tool, experts of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise conduct study visits that provide an opportunity to study the experience of an EU member state, organize and conduct seminars and working meetings with relevant partners of EU member states in the field of forensic science.

 

Participation of the KFI experts in the TAIEX seminar, Kyiv (Ukraine). 2019

 

Participation of the KFI experts in the ENFSI Working Group, Warsaw (Poland). 2022

 

Experts of the KFI take part in the Project “ACTION-EU: EU Action Against Drugs and Organised Crime, Intensive Cooperation and Capacity Building to Combat Organized Crime in the Field of Drug Trafficking along the Heroin Route” EU-ACT (EU Action Against Drugs and Organised Crime).Since 2017, the Institute’s specialists have been involved in the active work of the EU-ACT Project Working Group. Within the framework of this project, specialists of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise conduct joint scientific and practical events, seminars, webinars and study visits to EU countries to improve interaction within the EU-ACT project and study best practices.

 

The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Kyiv (Ukraine). 2022

 

The official visit of the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kyiv (Ukraine). 2023

 

Since 2020, experts from the KFI have become participants in the International Quality Assurance Programme (IQAP) International  Collaborative Exercises (ICE)  of  UNODC. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a specialized agency of the United Nations dealing with the fight against the spread of drugs and related crime. Program The International Joint Task Force (ICE) aims to help drug testing laboratories around the world evaluate their performance and take corrective action when necessary.

Representatives of the KFI are currently the only ones among all forensic institutions in Ukraine who participate in the Interpol International Symposium for Heads of Forensic Institutions, which takes place every three years at the Interpol headquarters in Lyon (France). For the first time, the participation of representatives of the KFI took place in 2018, and the next participation took place in 2022.

 

Participation of Nataliia Nestor in the Interpol meeting. 2022

 

Nataliia Nestor meets Catherine De Bolle, the Head of Europol

 

Participation of the representatives of the KFI in the EAFS, Stockholm (Sweden). 2022

 

Since 2018, the KFI is also the only one among all expert institutions in Ukraine represented in the conference of the European Academy of Forensic Sciences (EAFS). A conference of this scale gathers experts from all over the world and is held once every 3 years. For the first time, representatives of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise spoke at such a conference in 2018 in Lyon (France) and again in 2022 in Stockholm (Sweden).

In addition to the above-mentioned programs, employees of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise constantly exchange experience with specialists from around the world, including through working meetings. In particular, business meetings with the Head of the ICITAP Mission of the US Department of Justice, the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee (IAC) of the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), the FBI Special Representative in Ukraine, the UN Representative in Ukraine on Human Rights and the Rule of Law, cooperation with the Dutch mission of experts of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (Netherlands), training events on ETAF (European Active Forensic Science Training Center), etc., are significant.

Nataliia Nestor’s speech at the ENFSI meeting (Ukraine’s first speech in the ENFSI), Stockholm (Sweden). 2022

 

Nataliia Nestor’s participation in the IAFS. Meeting with the chairman of the IAFS, Sydney (Australia). 2023

 

Since 2019, the KFI has been holding an annual international conference “Current Issues of Forensic Expertology, Criminalistics and Criminal Procedure”. More than 25 countries of the world participated in this event, including representatives of the USA, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Switzerland, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, Great Britain, Israel and others.

Nataliia Nestor meets the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Washington (USA). 2023

 

Nataliia Nestor meets the US Embassy Official in Ukraine, Kyiv. 2023

 

In addition, for the second year in a row, representatives of the KFI are participating in the international conference CSI KOREA – one of the largest conferences of forensic experts in the Asian region, where the event is organized by the National Police Agency of Korea and the Korean CSI Association (CSI – Crime Scene Investigation).

Within the framework of the cooperation of the KFI, numerous cooperation agreements were signed with other international forensic institutions.

During the military aggression of the russian federation, Ukraine and, in particular, the KFI feels strong support from forensic institutions and representatives of the EU and the United States. Visits of the highest level are held, in particular, an official visit of Nataliia Nestor, Deputy Director of the KFI to the Ministry of Defense of Luxembourg, and receiving 30 3D-scanners Artec Leo (worth over €1.3 million), a visit to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia. The Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise received from the Bureau of Forensic Expertise of Finland the appropriate equipment for conducting examinations. In turn, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, the expert mission of the Kingdom of Spain, US officials etc. visited the KFI.

Nataliia Nestor with the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Luxemburg, Luxemburg. 2022

 

Nataliia Nestor takes an active part in events aimed at strengthening the EU and US sanctions pressure against russia.

Natallia Nestor`s participation in the TASK FORCE, Phoenix (USA). 2024

 

Natallia Nestor`s participation in the international events, the Hague (the Netherlands). 2024

 

The activity of the KFI in the field of international integration and partnerships within the framework of the agreements reached allows for the implementation of international standards in the work of the institution and contributes to a more effective solution of complex theoretical and practical problems, promote the exchange of information resources, and ensure high quality of examinations.