Discussion of Ukraine’s interim report on implementation of UPR recommendations held

On 15 December 2020, a public online discussion of the draft interim report of the Government of Ukraine on the implementation of the recommendations made within the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held.

Opening the event, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine Valeriya Kolomiyets reminded that in 2017 Ukraine received 190 recommendations on human rights issues that needed to be addressed from the UN member states and accepted 163 recommendations.

On 4 December, the Ministry of Justice published Ukraine’s draft interim report on the implementation of recommendations following the 3rd cycle of the UPR, covering the period from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2020.

According to Aksana Filipishyna, a representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights for the rights of the child and the family, despite some progress made by the state over three years, none of the international treaties and conventions proposed to Ukraine for accession have been signed or ratified. These include the following documents: the Rome Statute, the Istanbul Convention, the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, and the European Convention on the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes.

Moreover, according to the Commissioner’s Office, the level of implementation of the Action Plan to Implement the National Human Rights Strategy was insufficient. Thus, only 20 measures (37%) were implemented out of total 77 in 2020, while 22 measures (30%) remain completely unfulfilled.

Representatives of human rights organizations took part in the discussion of the draft government report: Margaryta Tarasova, Alyona Lunyova, Tetiana Pechonchyk, ZMINA Human Rights Center; Olha Kuryshko, CrimeaSOS; Mariya Krasnenko, Group of Influence; Olha Skrypnyk, Crimean Human Rights Group; Oleksandra Romantsova, Center for Civil Liberties; Yulia Anosova, La Strada-Ukraine; Andriy Kravchuk, Our World LGBT Center; Serhiy Burov, Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv; Iryna Tekuchova, Fight for Right NGO; Liudmyla Opryshko, Human Rights Platform; Ksenia Karagiaur, Charitable Foundation “Right to Protection”.

Earlier, representatives of these organizations submitted three alternative reports on the interim evaluation of the results of the 3rd cycle of the UPR of Ukraine to the UN Human Rights Council. The reports were published on the organization’s website.

ZMINA participated in the preparation of two of these reports: the report covering a wide range of issues and the report on the implementation of recommendations on the protection of victims of the armed conflict in Ukraine, presented the day before.

The online discussion was attended by more than 100 participants representing government agencies, NGOs and international organizations.

As known, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process within which each of 193 UN member states should report to the United Nations on how it respects human rights and freedoms and receive a critical appraisal of its report. Each country undergoes a Universal Periodic Review once every 4.5 years. During the review, the country submits its report on the human rights situation. Human rights activists, in turn, submit their alternative report. Ukraine undergoes a universal periodic review for the third time. Previously, Ukraine underwent UPR in 2008 and 2012.

See also: Online discussion of Ukraine’s interim report on the implementation of UPR recommendations (in Ukrainian)

Read also: Interim report of the coalition of human rights organizations on the implementation of the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (2017-2020)

Interim report of the coalition of human rights organizations on Ukraine’s implementation of UPR recommendations (on protection of the rights of the victims of conflict)