Round table on
problematic aspects of ensuring Ukraine's compliance with international humanitarian
law rules held in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
The event was attended by members of parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy and the Ministry for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, the Representative of the Ombudsman for Human Rights, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Ukraine, international and Ukrainian non-governmental organizations, national civil society institutions, dealing with the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons, the head of the Monitoring Mission of the Office of the Supreme UN Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine F.Freizer, Deputy Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine N.Kalhun.
Valeriia Vershynin, senior program manager for “Internally Displaced Persons’ Adviser”, said that this is the second attempt to discuss such an important issue as social protection of internally displaced persons and their integration into the community. She reminded that the members of the Committee on Social Policy, Employment and Pension Provision were the authors of such an important draft law as the draft law on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on the Right to Pensions for certain categories of citizens No.6692, which is intended to protect and save the lives of pensioners age, who for some reasons cannot move to Ukraine-controlled territories.
V.Vershynina mentioned another draft law – on amendments to some of the laws of Ukraine (concerning the electoral rights of internally displaced persons and other mobile citizens inside the country) No.6240, which is intended to protect the rights of internally displaced persons.
The Deputy Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine Noel Kalkhun stated that UN estimates that more and more people are getting poorer.
N.Kalkhun reported on the results of the conducted polls in accordance with which 26% of the respondents answered that they do not have food. The same data shows that people who receive pensions are the most vulnerable in the population. According to her, many Ukrainian citizens who have to receive pensions for life, especially among those living in the occupied territories, do not receive pensions. They cannot buy the food and medicine they need. They think that the state refused them only because of their place of residence. “When people do not trust, it is very important to give them confidence”, she stressed. The Deputy Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine presented the specific facts of such people.
N.Kalkhun said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine could offer a mechanism that would make it possible to pay pensions to all people who have this right regardless of where they live.
Liudmyla Denisova, the Chairman of the Committee on Social Policy, Employment and Pension Provision, presented a draft law No.6692, which proposes to develop and implement a mechanism for the payment of pensions to internally displaced persons through accounts and a network of Oshchadbank with the ability to receive cash through any banks in the control of Ukraine. Oshchadbank is recommended to immediately increase the number of mobile units for daily servicing residents of the settlements of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. According to L. Denisova, special attention should be paid to persons with disabilities of the first group and the low-mobility persons who are not capable of self-service and who need extra-care assistance. L. Denisova thanked representatives of international organizations who are ready to contribute to solving the problem of pension payments to such persons.
The member of parliament said that the Committee, as a follow-up, plans to hear information from the Ministry on Social Policy and other executive bodies tomorrow on the measures taken and decisions made by them to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the results of the working visit to Bakhmut.
“However, now, having read the information provided by the state authorities, it can be said that most of the recommendations made by the Committee to address the painful issues addressed by internally displaced persons have not been fulfilled. This can be explained only by indifference and irresponsible attitude to their problems”, - said she. L. Denisova also informed that the Committee plans to appeal to the Prime Minister to ensure that the recommendations of the Central Authorities are implemented.
A member of parliament Mustafa Naiiem informed about preparations for the second reading of the draft law on the peculiarities of the state policy of ensuring the state sovereignty of Ukraine over temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions No.7163, which provides for the settlement of all the issues discussed here. M. Naiiem, as one of the authors of the draft law No.6240, reported on the main provisions of the draft, which are proposed to restore the electoral rights of immigrants. He emphasized some of the basic rules that the law would require. According to the draft, the electoral rights should be renewed for all without the exception of internally displaced persons. This, according to him, applies to all elections in which they have the right to vote, as well as local elections in local communities.