PP_ Ukraine

The issues before the government of Ukraine are:

A: The Use of Torture and Degrading Treatment to War Prisoners.

B: The Violation of Rights of Refugees.

A. The Use of Torture and Degrading Treatment to War Prisoners.

The government of Ukraine is against any use of torture or degrading treatment to war prisoners.
Notably, Ukraine is not at war and has not done so specifically after its independence from the
Soviet Union in 1991. However, Ukraine does have a record containing the use of torture or ill-
treatment. The United Nations (UN) and NGO’s like Amnesty International have pressured
Ukraine to act against this dubious record. As a full UN-member and seeking alliance with the
European Union (EU), Ukraine has made great effort to better the circumstances of torture and
ill-treatment. Ukraine has adopted many broad UN-resolutions like the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950)
which recognize human rights in general. Furthermore, the UN General Assembly – and thus
Ukraine – has adopted the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Being Subjected to
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1972), the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984) and the
Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (2002, adopted by Ukraine in 2005). At
the European level, Ukraine has adopted the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture
and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987). All these treaties have made sure
Ukraine has developed and will effectively develop its policy on torture or degrading treatment.

The government of Ukraine plans to do so by aspiring the following:

1. Ameliorate the national policy of torture and degrading treatment. Policemen will be
better trained so that they will not resort to the use of torture or degrading treatment. The
impunity of these policemen and other government officials will be diminished. The
Ministry of Internal Affairs, the University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the
Kharkiv Human Rights Group work together to monitor detention places where torture
and degrading treatment have occurred. The circumstances of these detention places will
improve and their size cut down.

2. Work together more effectively with the EU and (central) Asian countries. Ukraine strives
to become a full-member of the European Union ands seeks more alliance with the EU.
Therefore, it will have to accept EU-resolutions and standards. Due to its strategic
location, Ukraine can fulfill a vital role in European-Asian relations concerning torture or
degrading treatment.

The government of Ukraine wishes to expel torture or degrading treatment against war prisoners.
It hopes to do so by ameliorating the national policies on this subject and also enhance the co-
operation between EU-states and (central) Asian states.
 B: The Violation of Rights of Refugees.

In history, Ukraine may have a slightly negative record concerning refugee rights. In the region,
Ukraine has a positive record when compared to other East-European states. The Ukrainian
government does not give the highest priority to ameliorating the rights of refugees. However, the
government has shown and will show great effort to better the rights and conditions of refugees
and asylum seekers. At national level, this is proven by the adaptation of a new, progressive
Refugee Law in 2001 and the agreement on the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 2002. Ukraine also strives to collaborate on a bilateral level
with mostly European states. Assistance through the Söderköping Process by Sweden, the
MATRA Programme by the Netherlands or the Danish Refugee Council by Denmark allow
Ukraine to improve policies on the rights of refugees. The UN High Commissioner of Refugees
puts pressure on Ukraine to ameliorate the standards and conditions for refugees up to the
internationally recognized level. The UNHCR pursues Ukraine to ratify the 1954 and 1961
Statelessness Conventions and the European Convention on Nationality (1997). Involvement of
the UNHCR and the European Council also means improvement of the rights of refugees and
asylum seekers.

The government of Ukraine therefore proposes the following:

1. Continuation of and more collaboration with European states on a bilateral level. Ukraine
can learn a lot from these states on the enforcement of rights for refugees, mainly through
technical aid.

2. The United Nations (through the UNHCR) and the European Union show greater
support. Not just Ukraine, but the rest of the East-European region benefits from more
financial and technical support by these supranational institutions.

These actions pursue what the government of Ukraine desires, namely the improvement of the
conditions of refugees and asylum seekers. Furthermore, the whole East-European region should
benefit from multilateral assistance through the UN or the EU.