What the state should do this year to protect victims of the war – recommendations of human rights defenders

In 2022, the state should take 11 priority steps to protect Ukrainians who were affected by the war and occupation. Among them is the ratification of the Rome Statute. This was stated by human rights defenders on February 1 during a press conference in Kyiv.

As the advocacy manager of Human Rights Centre ZMINA, Alena Lunova noted, the 7th session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the IX convocation begins on this very day. Therefore, the experts of the Coalition of Organisations, which take care of the protection of the rights of persons affected by the conflict, have prepared recommendations for parliamentarians and an analysis of the relevant draft laws, which are currently under consideration in the Verkhovna Rada.

Alena Lunova. Photo: ZMINA

According to Olha Skrypnyk, the head of the board of the Crimean Human Rights Group, last year the parliament adopted a number of important draft laws aimed at protecting Ukrainians under occupation, abolishing discriminatory norms against residents of the occupied territories, expanding opportunities for them to receive education, etc. However, there are other important issues that need to be settled by new laws this year.

Olha Skrypnyk. Photo: ZMINA

“First of all, this is the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the improvement of the sanctions legislation regarding persons involved in gross and massive violations of human rights in the occupied territories. The country also needs an effective system for searching for people who have gone missing as a result of the aggression of the Russian Federation. It is also important to introduce an administrative procedure for recognizing the facts of birth and death in the occupied territories and compensation for destroyed property”, Skrypnyk commented.

Violeta Artemchuk, coordinator of the NGO “Donbas-SOS”, noted that the recommendations are based directly on numerous requests from citizens affected by the war, and many requests relate to the problem of obtaining education.

Violeta Artemchuk. Photo: ZMINA

“The fate of the youth who remained in the occupation depends on the actions of the government. For those who are currently graduating from school in these territories, there should be clear and understandable information about how they can enter Ukrainian universities. And for those who have already obtained a profession in the occupied territories, there should be a mechanism for confirming these qualifications. Currently, they cannot get a job in the controlled territory, so they are forced to remain in occupation”, Artemchuk adds.

In addition to the recommendations to be implemented by the state, human rights defenders prepared a road map of draft laws and sent these proposals to people’s deputies. The road map has the form of a traffic light, where the green part is a list of draft laws whose adoption is supported by human rights defenders, the yellow part is the projects that should be revised, and the red part is the list that the parliament should reject.

According to Mariia Krasnenko, a lawyer at the civil holding “GROUP OF INFLUENCE”, the road map is a practical tool for parliamentarians: “Ukraine residents on both sides of the demarcation line are waiting for the adoption of “green” draft laws. These are projects aimed at ensuring the rights of internally displaced persons, in particular in terms of their recognition by members of the community, the protection of property rights of persons affected by armed aggression, the status and social protection of affected children”.

Mariia Krasnenko. Photo: ZMINA

At the same time, most of the draft laws in this area need to be revised or rejected.

Learn more about the road map of draft laws and 11 priority steps for the state.

Video from the press conference you can find here.

For information: The Coalition of organisations dealing with the protection of the rights of victims of armed aggression against Ukraine includes Human Rights Centre ZMINA, NGO “Donbas SOS”, NGO “CrimeaSOS”, Charitable Fund “Right to Protection”, Charitable Foundation “EAST-SOS”, NGO “Civil Holding GROUP OF INFLUENCE”, Charitable Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”, Crimean Human Rights Group.