Announcement: Presentation of the Outcomes of Strategic Review of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture and Ill-Treatment (Ombudsman Plus model) Implementation in Ukraine

On Thursday, at 11:00 on 13 December 2018, the experts of the Kharkiv Institute of Social Researches will deliver a presentation of the research evaluating effectiveness of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture and ill-Treatment, the presentation of the research developed with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine will take place at the Ukrainian Crisis Media-Center (2 Khreschatyk Street, Kyiv, Ukraine).

Background:

As of 2018 there are 4745 detention facilities in Ukraine, which includes prisons, temporary detention facilities, orphanages, soul asylums and other establishments with people whose rights were lawfully limited. Ukraine ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2006, and it envisaged a need to create a monitoring mechanism that would enable to ensure respect for human rights of people in those facilities. On 4 October 2012 the amendments to the Law of Ukraine On the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Human Rightshas become fully effective and functional. These legislative enactments has entrusted the Parliamentary Ombudsman with the functions on the implementation of National Prevention Mechanism in Ukraine envisaging systemic organization of monitoring visits by monitoring teams to assess the state of human rights in detention facilities.

The research, implemented by the Kharkiv Institute of Social Researches in 2018 is providing analysis of the functioning of the NPM since its establishment with the focus on the following issues:

  • Is the NPM is effective today?
  • Whether the NPM is able to the goals set forth?
  • Whether the NPM is able dully and timely address the challenges the Mechanism – and the State of Ukraine in general – is faced?
  • How the NPM functioning interrelates and correlates to the activities of other institutions dealing with the torture prevention?

Speakers:

  • Andriy Chernousov, expert of the Kharkiv Institute of Social Researches
  •  Denys Kobzyn, expert of the Kharkiv Institute of Social Researches

Presentation participants will propose both findings and the recommendations that will help to improve the efforts against tortures and the cruel treatment in Ukraine.

The research was implemented with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. Since 2006 the Co-ordinator has been working with the Ombudsman and civil society to help build a country-wide system of monitoring to prevent torture and ill treatment in prisons and other detention facilities, to that end the Co-ordinator has been developing manuals, methodologies, training monitors and supporting visits to detention facilities. Elaborated materials are available here.

Additional information:

Andriy Chernousov, tel. 0971043802; e-mail: [email protected]

Serhiy Peremot, National Programme Officer (Legal Reform), Rule of Law and Human Rights Programme of the OSCE PCU; tel.(044) 492 03 82, (050) 384 23 72; e-mail: [email protected]