 14 August, 2006. Geneva. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has considered the seventeenth and eighteenth periodic reports of Ukraine on the country’s implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Presenting the report, Sergii Rudyk, Head of the State Committee on National Citizenship of Ukraine, said that in March 2006, democratic national and local elections had been held, which had been confirmed to be free and fair by independent international monitors. As a result of political restructuring, a strategic document had been signed by Parliament, which included a provision allowing all citizens to use their languages of national origin and to promote their use in public life, in accordance with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In preliminary concluding remarks, Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur for Ukraine, said he appreciated the inclusion of members of the Ombudsman’s office in the delegation and welcomed their statements, though he would still appreciate more information with regard to the independence of that office following the recent elections. He noted with interest the information provided by the delegation on the education of the Tatars and the Roma. Many Experts also expressed a high level of concern regarding the situation of Roma in the Ukraine. The delegation of Ukraine also included members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as representatives from the Permanent Mission of the Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will present its written observations and recommendations on the reports of Ukraine, which were presented in one document, at the end of its session, which concludes on 18 August. Full version of the press-release on Committee's consideration of the report of Ukraine could be found here. Full version of the Report of Ukraine is available in Russian, English, French, Spanish. ***** For further information, please contact, Ms. Veronika Vashchenko, Communication Officer at e-mail:
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15.08.06
