Kyiv, 26 May 2020 –  Government officials, representatives of international organizations, and civil society and human rights activists gathered online this week to discuss the progress Ukraine has made in implementing its National Human Rights Strategy. The United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine supported the online public discussion, during which participants reviewed key achievements in implementing the strategy’s Action Plan, challenges, and the next steps needed to advance human rights in Ukraine.

UNDP Ukraine Deputy Resident Representative Manal Fouani said that amid the global pandemic, it was even more critical to speak about safeguarding human rights, protecting vulnerable groups and working to ensure we leave no one behind. "COVID19 is testing tolerance and respect for human rights, alienating vulnerable groups, and leading to rise in domestic violence and hate speech,’ she said. “And Ukraine's Human Rights Strategy must address this, because no one should be left behind, and no one should ever be left alone.”

The first National Human Rights Strategy and associated five-year Action Plan were adopted by the Government of Ukraine in 2015, providing a national level roadmap for the country to accelerate progress in protecting human rights.  The first five-year Action Plan comes to an end in 2020.  Fouani said that in order to set new objectives for the next plan that are SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound – progress made under the previous plan has to be carefully reviewed.

The discussion participants said significant progress had been made in issues related to the conflict in the east, which they said was due to consolidated effort and political will. They also said some progress had been seen in tackling domestic and gender-based violence, but highlighted parliament’s inability so far to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The discussion noted there has been some reversals in key and important areas of the strategy that will be addressed in the 2020-2025 phase II Action Plan, specifically in combating discrimination, protecting the rights of national minorities, the right to healthcare, and ensuring the rights of people living in Non-Government Controlled Territories.

Fouani said that despite the fact that much needs to be achieved in the Human Rights Strategy, just having such as a strategy is a massive move in the right direction, and Ukraine remains committed to it.  “The lack of progress in some areas just signals to us that we shouldn’t stop,” she said. “It’s time to see what we can do differently and move forward in making human rights the indomitable foundation of Ukrainian society and civilization.”

Background:

The public discussion was initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and civil society organizations, and is supported by UNDP in Ukraine’s Human Rights for Ukraine (HR4U) project, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark from 2019 to 2023.

Media inquiries:

Yuliia Samus; UNDP in Ukraine Communication Officer communications.ukraine@undp.org , +38 044 254 0035