Olena Sotnyk

• 2005 – graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, having received a diploma in jurisprudence. In the same year she graduated from the Academy of Municipal Management, having received a diploma of "Manager-Economist" and diploma in "Local Self-Government".^{[citation needed]}

• 2011–2012 – studied at the Ukrainian School of Political Studies (project of Council of Europe in Ukraine).^{[citation needed]}

• 2012 – graduated from the National Pedagogical University named after Drahomanov, having received a diploma in psychology.

• 2013 – participant in the 7th "Responsible Leadership" Seminar with the support of the Aspen Ukraine Initiative Alumni Association.^[7]

• 2017 – participant in the Council of Europe workshop on the exchange of best practices in legislation between the Parliaments of Ukraine and Sweden in Stockholm; member of the Aspen program "Order Amid Chaos: Major Trends Shaping the Future Technologies, Business, Culture and Society";^[8] graduated from the training program for global democratic leaders of the Stanford Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law (the Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program);^[9]

• 2018 – graduated from the Stanford Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law on the Leadership Academy for Development.^{[citation needed]}

• 2019 – Yale World Fellows Program.^[4]

• 2023 – Master's Degree in Conflict, Security, and Development at King's College London, traveling between London and war-torn Ukraine.^[10]

• 1999–2001 – freelance correspondent of the Ukrainian newspaper "Fakty i Kommentarii", the Department of Social Policy and Education.

• 2004 – began to work as the chief legal counsel at the company "Svema" in Shostka, Sumy region.

• 2005 – Head of legal department of the company PC JV"SD Ltd".

• 2006 – Executive Director of the Bar Association "Advocate Group Solodko & Partners".

• 31 May 2007 – passed the qualification exam in Kyiv City Qualification-Disciplinary Bar commission and obtained the certificate of attorney (No. 2945).^[11]

• Since 2008 – Partner of the Bar Association "Advocate Group Solodko & Partners".^[12]

• 2009 – licensed trustee in the issues of bankruptcy.^[13]

• Since 2014 – Member of the Parliament of Ukraine. Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on European Integration. Head of the Sub-committee on Approximation of Ukrainian Legislation to the EU Law.^[1]

• 2015 – Member of the Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Vice-President of political group the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in PACE. Member of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, Sub-committee on External Relations, Sub-committee on Implementation of the Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. An Alternate Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, the Sub-committee on Criminal Problems and the Fight against Terrorism, Sub-committee on relations with the OECD and the EBRD.^[2]

Member of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Association (the Parliamentary Association Committee between the European Union and Ukraine), which is a forum for the members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the European Parliament to hold meetings and exchange views.^[14]

• 2017 – Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the PACE.

• 2018 – Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the PACE.^[2] Elected member of the Bureau of Women's Parliamentarians in the Inter-Parliamentary Union.^[3]

• 2009–2012 – coordinator of the social projects in the framework of the NGO "Territory of Childhood" aimed to protect and reinforce the rights of young people raised in orphanages and boarding schools.

• 2010–2012 – Head of the Kyiv Branch of the Ukrainian Bar Association. During that period the following charity projects were conducted to help children deprived of paternal care: "Your right" and "Formation of legal consciousness".

• 2011 – became a member of the Expert Council within Parliamentary Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship.

• 2011 and 2013 – elected to the Board of the Ukrainian Bar Association.

• 2012 – coordinated the project publication "Guide to Adulthood" focused on the basic rights and guarantees to young people raised in orphanages and boarding schools.

• 2008 – 2012 – Member of the International Bar Association.

• From 2013 – Member of the Public Council within the Ukrainian State Financial Monitoring Service.

• 2013 – founded the NGO "Business Angels" to organize educational and awareness programs for children and young people.

• From 2013 to 2014 – Member of the Coordinating Council of Alumni Association "Aspen-Ukraine".

• In October 2012 – elected to be a member of the municipal body of attorneys "Bar Council of Kyiv".

• Since December 2013 – Member of the Center of Legal Aid for Victims of the events on the Independence Square in Kyiv.

• 2014 – joined the group of lawyers to protect the rights and interests of the relatives of the "Heavenly Hundred".

• 2016 – founded the NGO "Youth – Impulse of Changes". Forum and Khakaton "Impulse of Changes" was held in Kharkiv, jointly organized by the NGO and the USAID Program RADA within the "Model District" project.^{[15][non-primary source needed]}

• 2018 – Leader of the Youth wing of the Samopomich Union Party.^[16]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

The 11th number in the list of the Samopomich Union Party during 2014 parliamentary elections in Ukraine.^[1]

Sotnyk again took part in the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, this time for the party Strength and Honor.^[17] But in the election the party won 3.82%, not enough to clear the 5% election threshold and thus no parliamentary seats.^[18]

Olena Sotnyk is a permanent delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and holds strong positions in this international body. She is the Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, which had previously headed. In addition, mrs. Sotnyk is a member of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights, Sub-committee on Human Rights, Sub-committee on External Relations and Sub-committee on implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.^[2]

Activity in PACE:

– Head of observation mission on the presidential election in Turkey;^[19]

– Member of observation mission on the presidential election in Georgia;

– Member of observation mission on the parliamentary elections in Turkey, Bulgaria and Jordan.

Prepared reports:

– Observation of the early presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey (24 June 2018);^[20]

Reporter on:

– Restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe member States.^[21]

Prepared Committee opinions:

- Follow-up to the report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly;^[22]

– Social services in Europe: legislation and practice of the removal of children from their families in Council of Europe member States;^[23]

– Media freedom as a prerequisite for democratic elections.^[24]

In addition, Olena actively participates in the life of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, where in the fall of 2018 was elected as a member of the Bureau of Women's Parliamentarians.^[3]

Mrs. Sotnyk also represents the Ukrainian side in a number of groups on commonwealth, in particular she is:

• Co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with Belgium

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with the United States

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with Canada

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with France

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with (Germany)

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with the United Kingdom

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Unit with Switzerland^[1]