11.01.2012
On January 10, 2012 Ukraine celebrates the 10th anniversary of its accession to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.
The 1951 United Nations (UN) Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key international human rights instrument responsible for saving millions of refugee lives. The Convention defines who refugees are, what rights they possess and which legal obligations the signatory states have towards refugees. The 1967 Protocol was the only amendment to the 1951 Convention which removed geographical and temporal restrictions originally provided by the Convention as its initial aim was to protect only European refugees after World War II, and thus gave it universal coverage.
As of January 1, 2012 there are 147 signatories to either the 1951 Convention or the 1967 Protocol or both.
Ukraine acceded to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 2002 following the accession one year earlier by the neighboring countries, Belarus and Moldova. Today, on January 10, 2012 Ukraine marks the 10th anniversary of its accession to both the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
By acceding the 1951 UN Convention, Ukraine joined the international community in its efforts to ensure that the rights of persons in need of international protection are respected. This is an important date for the asylum system in the country and for refugees, as well as for all those assisting refugees to start their lives in Ukraine, to return home if possible or to build their future in other countries when protection in Ukraine is not available.
Since the date of accession to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Ukraine has taken a number of progressive steps aimed at enhancing protection of refugees and asylum-seekers. Adoption of the Law of Ukraine on Refugees and Persons in need of Complementary or Temporary Protection in July 2011 introduced complementary and temporary protection thus increasing the number of persons who can benefit from international protection. However, the new legislation does not fully meet the EU and international standards. Further legislation fine-tuning and optimizing of the asylum system would improve Ukraine’s legislative framework which is especially important at the times of its endeavors focused on the European integration including the 1951 Convention obligations.
In line with its duty to supervise the 1951 Convention implementation by the signatory states, UNHCR invites the Government of Ukraine to use the opportunity of this important anniversary and take necessary steps in 2012 to improve functioning of the asylum system and by doing so enhance enjoyment of rights by asylum-seekers and refugees, including integration of refugees into the Ukrainian society.
UNHCR will continue supporting the Government of Ukraine in its efforts to fulfil the international obligations assumed upon accession to the 1951 Convention – providing for the protection of asylum-seekers, refugees and other persons in need of international protection.
For further information please contact UNHCR Public Information Unit. Tel.: (+380 44)288-98-50. E-mail: ukrki@unhcr.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Web-site: http://www.unhcr.org.ua.
More information:
• The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950. It became operational on January 1, 1951.
• UNHCR works in Ukraine since March 1994. From 1996 to 2010 UNHCR contributed over 32 million USD to Ukraine. UNHCR programmes have over the years enhanced the capacities of numerous Government agencies and non-governmental organization and provided life sustaining assistance to thousands of individuals (direct assistance in the form of food and non-food items, shelter, medical assistance or monthly subsistence allowance in 2010 amounted to 600,000 USD).
• UNHCR has since its inception provided training and material support in the form of equipment (computers, vehicles, refurbishment of premises) to numerous Government agencies (the State Committee for Nationalities and Religions, Regional Migration Services, Border Guards) to the tune of 2.5 million USD.
• As of April 1, 2011 there were 2,435 recognised refugees in Ukraine. There were also up to 500 Georgian war refugees (from the region of Abkhazia) – 320 persons out of them received a permanent residence permit in Ukraine. As of January 1, 2011 there were 2,844 asylum-seekers in Ukraine.
• In 2011, the three countries’ programmes (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) managed by the UNHCR Regional Representation in Kyiv amounted to 4.7 million USD ex-staffing.
• UNHCR provides protection to refugees and other displaced persons on a non-political and humanitarian basis. The objective is to seek permanent solutions for persons who depend on international protection which, in the event of impossibility of return to the country of origin, entails providing for a supportive environment to integrate locally.
• Globally there are 43 million forcibly displaced persons, the majority of whom receive some form of UNHCR assistance (15.2 million refugees, 27.1 million internally displaced, 983 thousand asylum seekers).
• There are as many as 12 million stateless persons around the globe and 6.6 million are known to UNHCR in some 60 countries world wide.
• Over the past 60 years UNHCR has saved millions of lives, by bringing donor funds and international political will to bear on the world’s refugee problems on a scale unimaginable prior to its founding.
• In addition to saving lives, UNHCR has helped millions of people to rebuild their lives, to return safely home or to find new homes.
• UNHCR’s contributions to the world peace have been recognized with Nobel Peace prizes in 1954 and 1981.
• 2011 was a special year for UNHCR, as it marked several anniversaries of considerable importance to refugees and stateless persons around the world. The 60th anniversary of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness celebrate two milestones of the post World War II period in developing and enforcing human rights standards. These anniversaries presented an opportunity for all, including UNHCR and the Government of Ukraine, to seriously improve their cooperation for the benefit of refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons who deserve to live their lives in safety and dignity.
Kyiv (Ukraine) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees continues to be concerned about the situation of a Kyrgyz national who was denied access to Ukrainian territory in Boryspil airport where she arrived by the flight from Kazakhstan on 29 March 2012.
Statement of the international transborder meeting in Turkey, made on March 18, 2012 in front of Edirne detention centre
Kyiv (Ukraine) – The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has noted that on 3 March 2012 European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ordered Ukrainian authorities in response to a petition to the Court under Rule 39 that 3 stowaways on the ship docked at Mykolayiv seaport (2 from Eritrea, 1 from Ethiopia) should be allowed to disembark from the vessel and be granted access to asylum procedure to exercise their right to seek asylum.
Further information on UA: 29/12 Index: EUR 50/002/2012 Ukraine Date: 22 February 2012
URGENT ACTION
detained asylum-seekers stop hunger strike
The strike, held in protest by the group of Somali asylum-seekers and migrants, against their illegal detention and alleged ill-treatment, lasted for six weeks. The strike was halted by the group on 17 February after they received assurances from the State Migration Service that their asylum applications would be considered.
UNHCR is relieved to hear that the hunger strikes have ended at both detention centres in the Volyn and Chernigiv regions of Ukraine. The detainees, including many asylum-seekers and minors, were protesting against the length of their detention and demanded that the authorities consider their asylum claims in compliance with international standards.
Source: Human Rights Watch site
(Moscow, February 1, 2012) - The Ukrainian authorities should immediately stop police harassment and threats against Somali asylum seekers held at the Zhuravychi Migrant Accommodation Centre, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter sent to the Ukrainian authorities, Human Rights Watch also called for the immediate release of all Somali asylum seekers who are being held in administrative detention pending deportation.
Source: UNHCR site
UNHCR remains concerned about the situation of detainees, including many asylum-seekers and minors who are currently held in two detention centres in the Volyn and Chernigiv regions[1] of Ukraine. Their situation remains problematic even after several visits of UNHCR staff and NGO lawyers and Government officials. To obtain clarity more visits and interviews are scheduled for the coming weeks.
Amnesty International has urged the Ukrainian authorities to stop the ill-treatment of a group of detained asylum-seekers and their supporters, who were attacked by security forces attempting to forcibly end a hunger strike.
To: Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Dear Mr. Zakharchenko:
We are writing to raise our concern about the arbitrary detention of some or all of a group of 125 Somali nationals detained at the Zhuravychi Migrant Accommodation Centre (MAC). Some of them are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the Ukrainian authorities as asylum seekers. Around 80 have told UNHCR they want to apply for asylum in Ukraine, but have not been allowed to do so.
Below is a part of Human Rights Watch report 2012 about the situation with human rights in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan’s human rights record remains appalling, with no meaningful improvements in 2011. Torture remains endemic in the criminal justice system. Authorities continue to target civil society activists, opposition members, and journalists, and to persecute religious believers who worship outside strict state controls.
Freedom of expression remains severely limited. Government-sponsored forced child labor during the cotton harvest continues. Authorities continued to deny justice for the 2005 Andijan massacre in which government forces shot and killed hundreds of protestors, most of them unarmed.
Reacting to the pro-democracy Arab Spring movements, the Uzbek government increased the presence of security forces across the country and widened its already-tight control over the internet. Despite the government’s persistent refusal to address concerns about its abysmal record, the United States and European Union continued to advance closer relations with the Uzbek government in 2011, seeking cooperation in the war in Afghanistan.
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