22 October 2010, 15:47
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, highly appreciates the role of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the development of the European and international law, and stresses that its provisions have been known to Ukraine long ago.
On Friday, V.Lytvyn delivered a speech at the special meeting of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dedicated to the 60th anniversary of adoption of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. He characterized it as an international and legal act that, due to its wide scope and authority, can be compared with the Statute of the United Nations Organization. He also declared that the document is "a specific constitution of human rights in the European community."
"Its implementation is a foundation stone of any society and democratic development of any state. It is an annual exam to prove devotion to the democratic values that are the social orientation points for the state and people of the continent, legal heart of their life and development", he emphasised. Several principles of the Convention became the integral parts of several constitutions of the European states, influenced formation and improvement of the national tools of human rights protection.
The Head of the Parliament emphasised that proclamation of the Convention greatly influenced the formation of the regional standards of human rights all over the world. In particular, the American Convention on Human Rights (1969), the African Charter on Human and Peoples´ Rights (1981), the Convention of the Community of Independent States on Human Rights and Liberties (1995), the Arabic Charter on Human Rights (2004), and other documents of regional and specific character.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada reminded that by force of objective and subjective historic circumstances, Ukraine has recently joined the Convention: in a few days, on 9 November, it would be 15th anniversary of this essential step in the history of a great European family.
V. Lytvyn emphasised that Ukraine "is a state of the democracy unused, rather than undeveloped." "It is hard or even impossible to find the clauses of the Convention or its Protocols that were unknown to the Ukrainian people who resided in our state before its formation", he stressed, citing several historical documents.
"The European Convention contains nothing new for the Ukrainian Law. Undoubtedly, several principles have been laid down in a different way, the essence remaining unchanged. There is a lot to be done to protect the human rights in Ukraine and improve the tools of their protection."