Ukraine reports to the UN Committee against Torture
- Details
- 04.11.2014
On 4 November, Ukrainian human rights defenders and the Ombudsperson presented to the UN Committee against Torture their alternative reports on Ukraine's implementation of the provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)*.
The meeting of human rights defenders and the Ombudsperson with the experts of the UN Committee against Torture took place on the eve of the presentation of the National Report by the official Ukrainian delegation to allow Committee's experts to get acquainted with the status of Ukraine's progress in the CAT implementation. During the meeting the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that the first years of the National Preventive Mechanism implementation in Ukraine showed a number of systemic problems in the area of rights and freedoms in places of detention, the solution of which requires effective communication and coordination between various ministries and departments of the executive branch.
Gennadiy Tokarev from Kharkiv Human Rights Group and Oleksandr Bukalov from Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union shared human rights community's comments on the National Report to be presented the day after. In particular, they expressed the concern with the detention conditions, which do not meet international standards, and raised issues of torture of prisoners and inefficient complaint investigation process. Human rights defenders underlined challenges the Ukrainian law enforcement system is faced with in light of the occupation of Crimea and anti-terrorist operation in eastern regions of Ukraine.
Ukrainian human rights activists and the Ombudsperson noted that one of the most needed steps for Ukraine to be in line with its CAT commitments is the police reform, in particular the adoption of the draft law "On police and policing" developed by the civic activists and the Office of the Ombudsperson. The document is currently undergoing international expertise.
Thanks to the dialogue with human rights defenders and the Ombudsperson, the UN Committee against Torture could get an objective picture of Ukraine's implementation of its CAT commitments and prepare a list of questions to the official delegation of Ukraine, in particular on the investigation of torture cases, access to medical help and translators in places of detention, detention of migrants, juvenile justice, and documenting human rights violations in the eastern regions of the country.
Based on the review of the National Report of Ukraine and interactive dialogue with the official delegation, human rights activists, and the Ombudsperson, the Committee will present its concluding observations on Ukraine after 28 November 2014.
* Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations that aims to prevent torture and cruel, inhuman degrading treatment or punishment around the world. The UN Convention was adopted in 1984 and came into force in 1987. Ukraine ratified the Convention in 1987 and is one of its 156 States parties. Ukraine is required to undergo regular review on the implementation of the Convention by the Committee against Torture comprising 10 independent experts from different countries.
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