ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE BEGINS EXAMINATION OF UKRAINE'S REPORT

Press Release
HR/4252

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE BEGINS EXAMINATION OF UKRAINE'S REPORT

GENEVA, 28 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning took up the third periodic report of Ukraine, focusing on how it was fulfilling its obligations under the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the face of the difficulties brought on by its economic situation.

The head of Ukraine's delegation, Mykhaylo Kaskevich, said his country was suffering from a decline in its gross national product and a deficit in its balance of payments. Mr. Kaskevich, the Minister of Labour, was accompanied by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations at Geneva, Olexander Slipchenko; the deputy head of the delegation, Borys Nadtochiy, of the Ministry of Labour; the Counsellor at the Permanent Mission, Oleg Shamshur; the Ministry of Economy's representative, Vyctoriya Krzhevina; the Second Secretary, Yevhen Semashako; and by the representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladislav Zozulia.

Introduction of Ukraine's Report

Introducing his country's report, Mr. Kaskevich recalled that Ukraine was in transition from a totalitarian to a democratic system and from a centralized to a market economy. During the last transition period, Ukraine had been attempting to restructure both its social and economic systems to meet the needs of its population. The realities of a market economy were incompatible, however, with the existing infrastructure and social situation.

The reduction in consumer supplies and the deficit in the balance of payments, as well as the decrease in the level of production, had been reflected in the contributions to and the functioning of the country's social security system, he said. The Chernobyl incident had had a negative impact on the economic and social situation of the society. Because of those and other difficulties, the situation required a new and decisive approach. The Government had laid down a strategy of reasonable liberalization of the society to meet the population's socio-economic and political requirements.

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New labour legislation introduced in July had guaranteed the rights to free choice of appropriate employment to Ukrainians. The right of workers to participate in formulating production strategy was also affirmed by the new

law. A new system of social insurance was also under study for inclusion in labour negotiations and cases of unemployment. Other programmes at the grass-root level were also under preparation to meet the demands of the labour law.

Discussion of Ukraine's Report

Responding to questions by experts, the delegation of Ukraine affirmed that the country's citizens enjoyed in their entirety the socio-economic, political and individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. However, the exercise of rights and freedoms by citizens should not prejudice the interests of society or the rights of other citizens.

The delegation said, further, that the realization of the rights to health protection, material security in old age, housing, education and the enjoyment of culture were at present limited by the economic conditions in the country.

With regard to the Chernobyl disaster, the delegation said Ukraine was making all efforts to eliminate the lingering consequences of the accident. At present, the first two zones identified around the disaster site were still uninhabitable, while the third and fourth zones were found tolerable for resettlement. All workers were expected to contribute 12 per cent of their salaries to a rehabilitation programme.

In response to the return of ethnic groups deported from Ukraine during the Second World War, the delegation said a State programme had been under preparation for the resettlement of deported Crimean Tartars and persons of other nationalities who had returned and were living in Crimea. Included in the resettlement were Germans and Greeks who had also been deported from Crimea. As of 1 August, 15,000 families of Crimean Tartars and 400 families of German migrants had no homes of their own and were on the waiting list for assignment of State housing.

The question of non-discrimination of non-citizens was also raised by members of the Committee. The Ukraine representatives responded that they were subject to the same rights and freedoms as well as the obligations of Ukrainian citizens. No special status had been accorded citizens of the successor States of the former Soviet Union, whether they were settled or temporarily resident in Ukraine.

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Many experts voiced their concerns over the high rate of unemployment, especially among women. The delegation ensured the Committee that in the past, 90 per cent of the unemployed were women, while at present that figure had been reduced to 56 per cent. A national programme was being prepared to improve the unemployment situation. The objectives of the programme were to provide for the gradual release of women from heavy and night work.

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