COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION STARTS ADOPTING CONCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS ON REPORT OF UKRAINE

CERD
59th session
16 August 2001
Morning




The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the sixteenth report of Ukraine, expressing concern that national legislation did not contain sufficient provisions prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnic or national origin.

The Committee noted with satisfaction the continued efforts of the State party to reform its legislation, including its criminal code, and the creation of an appeals court system. It also welcomed the provisions prohibiting the dissemination of racial and ethnic hate propaganda and the creation of organizations and political parties that were based upon racial hatred or discrimination.

The Committee recommended that the State party take all appropriate legislative measures to ensure that the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination were fully reflected in domestic law.

The Committee also recommended that the State party adopt effective measures, pursuant to the provisions of the Convention, guaranteeing equal enjoyment of the rights enumerated in those provisions to all ethnic groups within the country, without distinction based on race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin.

When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will continue to adopt the remaining part of the conclusions on Ukraine.

Concluding Observations and Recommendations on Report of Ukraine

Among positive aspects, the Committee noted with satisfaction the continued efforts of the State party to reform its legislation, including its criminal code, and the creation of an appeals court system. It welcomed the abolition of the death penalty as well as the provisions prohibiting the dissemination of racial and ethnic hate propaganda and the creation of organizations and political parties that were based upon racial hatred or discrimination; and it commended the continued efforts of the State party to resettle and rehabilitate the Crimean Tatars, who were deported decades earlier.

Under its concerns and recommendations, the Committee regretted the lack of information in the report, despite the Committee's previous request to that effect, giving demographic data that compared the socio-economic status of various racial and ethnic groups in the population; if possible that data should be disaggregated by gender. The Committee was concerned that national legislation did not contain sufficient provisions prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnic or national origin in conformity with the requirements of the Convention; it recommended that the State party take all appropriate legislative measures to ensure that the provisions of the Convention were fully reflected in domestic law; it particularly recommended again that the State party review its legislation to meet fully the requirements of article 4 of the Convention.

The Committee also recommended that the State party adopt effective measures, pursuant to the provisions of the Convention, guaranteeing equal enjoyment of the rights enumerated in those provisions to all ethnic groups within the country, without distinction based on race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin.

While noting efforts made by the State party to facilitate the resettlement and rehabilitation of the Crimean Tatars, the Committee reiterated its concern regarding the difficulties experienced by the Crimean Tatars, in acquiring Ukrainian citizenship; at the same time, it was felt that resettlement should not generate new ethnic tensions that might lead to conflict between Crimean Tatars and other minorities; and the Committee recommended that the State party review its legislation and practices in that regard and make any revisions required by the Convention.



* *** *