President’s Representative to defend rights and liberties

On 5 April President Yushchenko issued Decree No. 276/2007 creating the office of President’s Representative on Human Rights and Civil Liberties

The Decree in full:

On the Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties

In order to improve the work of the President’s Secretariat in enabling the Head of State to carry out his constitutional role in defending human rights and civil liberties, being guided by paragraph two of Article 102 of the Main Law of Ukraine and in accordance with point 28 of paragraph one of Article 100 of the Constitution of Ukraine, we decree:

1  That the position of Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties be established within the President’s Secretariat.

2  That the Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties be entrusted with the following duties:

to carry out constant monitoring of the situation in Ukraine as regards constitutional human rights and civil liberties;

to provide an overview of information regarding the violation of human rights and civil liberties based on an analysis of appeals addressed to the President of Ukraine from members of the public, state bodies, bodies of local self-government, businesses, institutions, civic and other organizations, as well as to prepare and submit to the Head of State proposals for resolving the problems identified;

to work on proposals to improve the President’s fulfilment of his constitutional role in the area of defending human rights and civil liberties.

3  That the following amendments be introduced to Presidential Decrees:

1)  Article 4 of the Decree of the President from 14 October 2005 No. 1445 “On the creation of the President’s Secretariat (with amendments made through Decrees from 2 October 2006 No. 814, from 19 February 2007 No. 120 and from 26 February 2007 No. 143) should be supplemented after paragraph seven with the following paragraph:

“The Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties”

In connection with this paragraphs eight – thirty two should be considered paragraphs nine to thirty three.

2) The Provisions on the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine, as per Presidential Decree from 4 November 2005 No. 1548 “Issues of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine (with amendments made through Decrees from 18 November 2005 No. 1614, from 2 October 2006 No. 814 and from 19 February 2007 No. 120) should be supplemented with the following:

a) in point 7 after paragraph seven “The Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties”

In connection with this paragraphs eight – ten should be considered paragraphs nine to eleven.

b) paragraph one of point 8 after the words: “Representative of the  President of Ukraine at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant”: should have: “The Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties”

c) sub-point 4 of point 9 after the words ““Representative of the  President of Ukraine at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant” the words “The Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties” should be added;

d) point 11 should be supplemented with the following paragraph: “The Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine on Observance of Human Rights and Civil Liberties shall analyze the processes taking place in Ukraine, prepare and submit proposals on safeguarding the observance of constitutional human rights and civil liberties”.

President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko

5 April 2007