Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations hears information from government representatives about observance of rights of internally displaced persons and citizens living on temporarily occupied territories
06 July 2016, 18:09
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations has held an extended meeting on "Hearing information from representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, responsible ministries and institutions about the course of implementation of the parliamentary hearings recommendations on "Status of observance of rights of internally displaced persons and Ukrainian citizens living on temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and on territory temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian authorities" (in compliance with Section 2 of the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine No. 1074-VIII dated March 31, 2016).
In particular, the Chairperson of the Committee Hryhorii Nemyria said: "Ukraine occupies the fourth position after Yemen, Syria and Iraq in terms of the number of internally displaced persons as a result of conflicts, which is shocking."
"I hope that our today's discussion will allow hearing and taking into consideration the opinion of internally displaced persons, representatives of non-government organizations and our colleagues from the international organizations, in particular, the European Union, Council of Europe, etc.," Hryhorii Nemyria said.
Besides, the Chairperson of the Committee expressed concerns over the fact that members of the Ukrainian Government continue ignoring the extended meeting of the Committee on one of the most important issue of the protection of rights and freedoms of forced migrants.
"I hope we will hear why Minister of Social Policy Pavlo Rozenko, Minister of Social Policy Andrii Reva and Ministry for Affairs of Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh again show their disrespect to almost 2 million forced migrants, the Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations," he noted.
At the extended meeting, the Government was represented by Deputy Social Policy Minister Vitalii Muschynin and Deputy Minister for Affairs of Internally Displaced Persons Heorhii Tuka. Muschynin said the Ministry of Social Policy had sent materials on implementation of the parliamentary hearings recommendations for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada and expressed hope that today's discussion would allow considering all the problems and the ways to settle them.
"It's a pity that only deputy ministers are present today at this meeting. This indicates real attitude of the Government to the problems of the internally displaced persons," expert of the Right to Protection all-Ukrainian charity fund Olena Vynohradova said.
Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Fiona Frazer noted the necessity for the elaboration of the state strategy on force migrants and pointed out the important role the Parliament plays in the settlement of problems with the protection of rights and freedoms of such people.
In turn Committee member Vasyl Brenzovych called on all bodies of state power to work fruitfully to protect rights and freedoms of the Ukrainian citizens in order to save the country.
Verkhovna Rada ombudsman Valeriya Lutkovska said the Ministry of Social Policy considers internally displaced persons as an additional burden and tries to infringe their rights in every possible way.
According to Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Regis Brillat some provisions of the Resolution No. 365 approved by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine contradict the standards of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights.
At the end of the meeting Hryhorii Nemyria called the work of the Government on the said issues unsatisfactory and advocated the organization of a special meeting of the National Security and Defense Council to consider the protection of rights and freedoms of forced migrants and citizens living on temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.