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Annual Report 2020
In accordance with Article 18 of the Law on the “Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights,” the office of the Commissioner submitted the Annual Report 2020 on the status of observance and protection of human rights and freedoms of citizens of Ukraine.
Last year, Ukraine faced a new global challenge: the pandemic of COVID-19 primarily affected the most vulnerable populations, put pressure on the country’s economy and tested the strength of reforms undertaken, especially those related to the decentralisation of power and health care. The number of reported violations of human and civil rights and freedoms in 2020 increased by 40% compared to the previous year.
The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions had a significant impact on the equality of rights and freedoms of citizens. A significant increase in domestic violence, violations of the rights of internally displaced persons, representatives of the LGBTI community as well as the rights of national minorities were recorded during the monitoring visits conducted in 2020.
Within the implementation of the National Preventive Mechanism, Ukraine became one of the five European countries that continued to visit places of detention to monitor the observance of human and civil rights and freedoms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of these monitoring visits are reflected in a special report called “Status of Observance of Human Rights and Freedoms in Places of Detention in the Context of COVID-19.”
“Despite any restrictions, together with my team, I continue my daily work aimed at protecting human and civil rights and freedoms with respect to the rule of law and in accordance with the UN Paris Principles,” underlines Parliament Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova in the preface of the institution’s annual report.
Source: Office of the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Ukraine
