Statement by the delegation of Ukraine during the discussions of candidate states’ visions for membership in the UN Human Rights Council

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Thank you, Chair.

Ukraine strictly adheres to its international obligations and commitments under international law in the field of human rights. Ukraine proudly served for two membership terms in the UN Human Rights Council and upon their completion in 2011 has been actively advocating for human rights as an observer.

Ukraine is a party to the majority of international human rights treaties. Following its pledges and commitments of June 2008, Ukraine has ratified Convention on Promoting the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol; International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; as well as Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure.

As a candidate country to the UN Human Rights Council, Ukraine released its pledges and commitments last Friday, September 8.

I also want to highlight that my country has been a driving force behind four consensus HRC resolutions on the role of prevention of human rights violations since 2010.

We closely work with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and his Office, including with the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine deployed at the Government’s invitation in mid-March 2014. The Mission contributes to the OHCHR reports on the human rights situation in Ukraine, with particular attention to the temporarily occupied Crimea and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukraine also issued standing open invitation to all UN HRC special procedures. Five of them has already visited Ukraine since 2008; another three visits are going to be conducted by the end of the next year.

Ukraine has successfully undergone two UPR cycles; the third one will take place this November.

It is worth to mention that the President of Ukraine had approved the National Strategy of Human Rights up to 2020 and the Action Plan to implement it in 2015. This Strategy aimed at improving the legal and institutional framework for national human rights policy in line with the international standards in close cooperation with Ombudsman, civil society and international organizations.

Ukraine is ready actively participate in further improvement of working methods of the Council to increase its efficiency and transparency.

We will be honored to serve and contribute to the work of the Council.

Thank you.