The Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) has prepared an analysis of the draft National Human Rights Strategy for the period until 2035, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, with a focus on its potential impact on civil society organizations (CSOs).
The draft Strategy is intended to define strategic priorities for ensuring human rights and freedoms, taking into account challenges related to mass human rights violations, internal displacement, the temporary occupation of territories, and the needs of post-war reintegration.
Additionally, the Strategy is linked to the fulfillment of Ukraine's international obligations, particularly within the Euro-integration process and the Rule of Law Roadmap.
UCIPR experts note that the document provides for:
- Defining long-term state policy goals in the field of human rights until 2035;
- Integrating a human rights-based approach into key areas of state policy, including recovery and reintegration;
- Addressing new categories of human rights violations related to war crimes, gender-based violence, and the violation of children's rights under war conditions.
Among the positive elements, it is worth noting the actualization of human rights policy within the wartime context, the Euro-integration orientation, the comprehensive approach to integrating human rights into state policy, and the emphasis on protecting the rights of vulnerable groups.
At the same time, the draft Strategy contains a number of systemic flaws:
- It defines general goals and principles but lacks specific implementation mechanisms, which shifts key decisions to the level of future action plans and risks making them purely formal.
- The document does not identify a responsible body for coordinating implementation.
- It does not establish tools for CSO participation in the implementation and evaluation processes.
Consequently, in the proposed version, the role of CSOs is effectively limited to a consultative role without real influence on policy formation. In the absence of institutionalized mechanisms, their involvement may be excluded from the Strategy's implementation processes, even in areas directly related to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and citizen participation in public administration.
Therefore, to ensure the effectiveness of state policy in the field of human rights, it is advisable to revise the draft Strategy with the mandatory engagement of CSOs, consideration of their positions, and the introduction of clear mechanisms for implementation and accountability.
Detailed analysis at the link.
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Institutional support for UCIPR activities is provided by East Europe Foundation within the framework of the "Phoenix: The Power of Communities" project, with the support of the European Union. The content of the created materials is the sole responsibility of UCIPR and does not necessarily reflect the position of East Europe Foundation and the EU.