The FINANCIAL — The European Union and Ukraine held their annual Human Rights Dialogue on 13 June in Kyiv.
Officials discussed the current human rights situation in Ukraine and the progress since the last dialogue held in July 2016. The EU and Ukraine expressed concern over the further deterioration of the human rights situation on the Crimean peninsula and condemned the human rights violations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are not under the full control of the Ukrainian government. The EU also called for the immediate release of illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in Russia and the Crimean peninsula.
During the meeting, the EU and Ukraine discussed ways to protect the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and review the work of the Ministry of Temporary Occupied Territories and IDPs, according to EU Neighbours East Info.
The EU and Ukraine discussed the prevention of ill-treatment and torture and encouraged further reforms in the area of law enforcement to strengthen human rights in Ukraine. The EU also called for progress to be made in the investigations into the crimes committed during the EuroMaidan protests and the violent events in Odesa on 2 May 2014.
The EU highlighted the importance of harmonising electoral legislation and the appointment of members of the Central Election Commission whose mandates have expired.
Both sides highlighted the importance of free and independent media and discussed ways to advance the safety of journalists and media outlets, including the steps taken to address the publication of journalists’ private data on Ukrainian websites.
Also on the agenda of the dialogue was non-discrimination policy, including the rights of LGBTI people and those belonging to ethnic, linguistic, religious and national minorities, and the rights of children.
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