REFORM OF THE CRIMINAL LEGISLATION OF UKRAINE IN THE FIELD OF COMBATING HUMAN EXPLOITATION BASED ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW STANDARDS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MODEL OF DOCTRINAL REFORM

Abstract

Relevance of the Topiс. In the context of armed aggression against Ukraine, the need to revise currentcriminal legislation in the field of combating human exploitation in accordance with international standards hasbecome increasingly urgent, particularly with regard to the jurisprudence of the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights. The growing incidence of systemic sexual and labor enslavementof civilians during armed conflict necessitates a normative response grounded in internationally recognizedlegal principles.Purpose. The aim of the study is to develop a doctrinal model for reforming Ukraine’s criminal legislation,which would ensure its harmonization with the practice of the International Criminal Court and the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights in the qualification of exploitation-related offenses, taking into account the contextof armed conflict.Methods. The study employs comparative, systemic-structural, and formal-legal methods, which enablea juxtaposition of the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with international criminal law standards,as well as an analysis of the case law of the International Criminal Court and the European Court of HumanRights regarding the exploitation of individuals.Results. Based on indicative matrices, the study establishes that the current version of Article 438of the Criminal Code of Ukraine does not adequately cover war crimes related to exploitation. The necessityof introducing a Concept for the Adaptation of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to the requirements of the RomeStatute and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is substantiated.Conclusions. The proposed reform model strengthens criminal law guarantees for the protectionof individuals, reduces the risks of Convention violations in national legal practice, and facilitates Ukraine’sintegration into the European and international legal space.