ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF UKRAINE REPORT
Press Release
HR/4255
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF UKRAINE REPORT
19951201 GENEVA, 29 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its examination of the third periodic report of Ukraine on how that country was complying with the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.Before concluding its consideration of the report, the Committee was briefed by the Ukrainian delegation on the situation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster. A system of annual radiation monitoring was now applied to the population of the areas subjected to radioactive contamination, and a network of specialized institutions had been established to render effective medical and health assistance to victims of the accident.
According to the delegation, the Scientific Centre of Radiation Medicine was running a 300-bed clinic for adults. The Ukrainian Specialized Clinic for Radiation Protection of the Population had 140 beds for children. In the regions, 10 specialized clinics had been opened with 1,350 beds. The state of health of the affected population was analyzed by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in keeping with modern methods of clinical examination and epidemiological analysis.
Concerning the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, the delegation stressed that Ukraine was among the countries with a low level of HIV prevalence. As of 1 August 1995, 482 persons infected with HIV had been registered, including 43 suffering from AIDS and 21 who had died of the disease. The country's main policy on HIV/AIDS was to prevent its spread, reduce the adverse effects of the infection and direct efforts towards AIDS prevention at the national and international level.
As to education, the delegation said that the planned expenditure on the maintenance of national educational establishments was not fully financed because of a decline in the economy and a shrinking budget. The Education Act of Ukraine provided that expenditure on the maintenance of national educational establishments should not be less than 10 per cent of the national budget, but for 1994 that expenditure had accounted for 9.73 percent of the budget. Although the enrolment figures had not declined, supplies and equipment for the establishment and organization of the national education system were being cut.
Education was compulsory for children up to the age of 15 and all forms of secondary education, including vocational and technical education were accessible to all and free of charge, the delegation said. The legislation of Ukraine prohibited discrimination in education on any grounds, including religious, racial, sexual, property or other differences.
In matters of cultural participation of the population, 8 per cent of the Ukrainian national income was allocated to cultural requirements, the delegation said. Books, newspapers and periodicals in 20 languages of national minorities were published in Ukraine, and there were more than 50 art exhibitions every year. The public was served by 50,000 libraries containing about one million books. Much was being done to revive the culture of the national minorities.
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