Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Ukraine *
1.The Committee considered the seventh period report of Ukraine (E/C.12/UKR/7) at its 8th and 9th meetings (see E/C.12/2020/SR.8 and 9), held on 20 and 21 February 2020, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 30th meeting, held on 6 March 2020.
A.Introduction
2.The Committee welcomes the submission by the State party of the seventh periodic report, based on the list of issues prior to reporting drawn up by the Committee (E/C.12/UKR/QPR/7). It expresses its appreciation to the State party for having accepted the simplified reporting procedure, as this provides an opportunity for focused consideration of the report and dialogue with the delegation. The Committee appreciates the constructive dialogue held with the State party’s interministerial delegation and the additional written information provided after the dialogue.
B.Positive aspects
3.The Committee welcomes the legislative, institutional and policy measures taken by the State party to enhance the level of protection of economic, social and cultural rights in the State party, as referred to in the present concluding observations. It notes, in particular, the adoption and implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy for the period up to 2020.
C.Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Maximum available resources
4.While noting the progress made in poverty reduction, the Committee is concerned that levels of absolute poverty, measured in terms of the percentage of people whose spending or revenue is less than the living wage, remain high. The Committee is also concerned about:
(a)Growing income disparities in the State party, as indicated by the increase in the percentage of households with incomes below the median household income;
(b)The decline in the share of public funds allocated to social services, from 29.8 per cent in 2016 to 24.4 per cent in 2018;
(c)The reductions in governmental subsidies, including for utilities such as gas, resulting from the State party’s fiscal consolidation policy put in place to comply with the loan conditionalities of the International Monetary Fund, which disproportionately affect vulnerable groups and individuals such as women living in poverty or in rural areas, and about the lack of information on whether the State party has assessed the impact of its medium-term fiscal consolidation programme on the enjoyment of the Covenant rights;
(d)The prevalence of tax evasion, including in the employment and real estate sectors (art. 2 (1)).
5. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Undertake a human rights impact assessment of its macroeconomic and budgetary policies with a view to maximizing the resources available to achieve the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights;
(b) I ncrease the level of social spending, paying particular attention to disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and regions with high levels of unemployment and poverty;
(c) Conduct a comprehensive assessment, with the participation of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and civil society organizations, of the impact of its fiscal consolidation policy on the enjoyment of the Covenant rights, paying particular attention to the impact of the policy on marginalized and disadvantaged groups and individuals, such as rural populations and women. It also draws the State party ’ s attention to its 2016 statement on public debt, austerity measures and the Covenant (E/C.12/2016/1);
(d) Take rigorous measures to combat tax evasion, particularly the practice of undeclared wages ( “ envelope wages ” ) and the undervaluation of real estate .
Decentralization reforms
6.The Committee is concerned that insufficient measures have been taken to safeguard against the risk that ongoing decentralization reforms may have the effect of making the enjoyment of Covenant rights at the local level dependent on the financial resources of local communities, and therefore widen regional disparities (art. 2).
7. The Committee reminds the State party that it bears the ultimate responsibility for the implementation of the Covenant at all levels, including at the local level. It recommends that the State party ensure that all public authorities, including local authorities, are fully aware of their obligations under the Covenant. To that end, it encourages the State party to issue and disseminate the necessary information and guidance to local authorities so that they can provide adequate and affordable social services to people in their localities. The Committee further recommends that the State party provide all the necessary support, including budgetary support, to the local governments to enable them to ensure the realization of Covenant rights at the local level.
Corruption
8.While commending the State party on the steps it has taken to combat corruption, including the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the High Anti-Corruption Court, the Committee remains concerned at the persistently high level of corruption, and at reports of political interference in corruption prosecutions. It is also concerned that the system of automatic verification of asset and income of public officials (e-declarations) is not sufficiently effective or transparent. Furthermore, it is concerned about attacks on and threats against anti-corruption activists and journalists (art. 2 (1)).
9. The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to combat corruption by:
(a) Ensuring the enforcement of anti- corruption laws and combating impunity for corruption , particularly in cases involving high-level officials and government departments and agencies that are responsible for economic, social and cultural rights;
(b) Enhancing the independence of the judiciary with a view to strengthening its capacity to combat corruption effectively and counteracting political interference in corruption prosecutions;
(c) Strengthening the verification system for e-declarations to make it more effective and transparent;
(d) Ensuring the effective implementation of the whistle-blower protection law ( No. 198-IX ) to ensure the protection from violence of whistle-blowers, civil society activists working on anti-corruption, witnesses and journalists.
Non-discrimination
10.While recognizing the explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation in the Labour Code, the Committee is concerned that the Law on the Principles of Preventing and Combating Discrimination in Ukraine lacks such protected grounds. It is also concerned at reports that the State party’s authorities often do not apply article 161 of the Criminal Code to cases of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Committee is further concerned that the legislative framework to protect against discrimination is fragmented and does not include the concept of multiple discrimination or provide for effective remedies against different forms of discrimination (art. 2 (2)).
11. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Ensure that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is explicitly prohibited in the Law on the Principles of Preventing and Combating Discrimination in Ukraine;
(b) Provide the necessary training to law enforcement officers, judiciary personnel and other legal professionals on how to handle cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including under article 161 of the Criminal Code;
(c) Strengthen its efforts to eliminate negative stereotypes and stigmatization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, including through awareness-raising campaigns for the public, health-care providers, social workers, law enforcement and other public officials;
(d) Adopt a comprehensive and coherent anti-discrimination legal framework by e xpediting pending legislative reforms on the harmonization of anti-discrimination laws and strengthening remedies for discrimination, taking into account the Committee ’ s general comment No. 20 (2009) on non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights.
Internally displaced persons
12.While commending the State party on its efforts to address the problems of its large internally displaced population (1.4 million persons registered), including the adoption of law No. 1706-VII on ensuring the rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons and the strategy for the integration of internally displaced persons and the implementation of long-term solutions to internal displacement to 2020, the Committee is concerned that internally displaced persons still perceive themselves to be discriminated against by State policies and regulations, particularly in the areas of health care, employment and housing. It is also concerned at the gender-specific difficulties faced by internally displaced women, who are twice as likely as men to live in poverty, and at reports of negative perceptions of internally displaced persons on the part of some host communities (art. 2 (2)).
13. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Develop and adopt a new comprehensive national strategy and action plan for the integration of internally displaced persons and their access to economic, social and cultural rights for the period beyond 2020;
(b) Take targeted measures to address the gender-specific challenges faced by internally displaced women, including by ensuring their access to social infrastructure and support services, such as childcare, to enhance their participation in the labour market, and by improving the provision of affordable social housing. To this end, the State party should collect statistical data, disaggregated by sex, ethnicity and geographic location, on their employment, housing and living standards;
(c) Strengthen programmes aimed at raising public awareness of the challenges faced by internally displaced persons and facilitate community mediation to reduce the risk of conflict between host communities and internally displaced persons.
Roma
14.While noting the special social services provided by the Ministry of Social Policy, the Committee is concerned that Roma continue to face a number of obstacles and barriers in their access to and equal enjoyment of Covenant rights, including in the spheres of employment, housing, health care and education. The Committee notes with concern that Roma women and Roma persons with disabilities are particularly disadvantaged. It is also concerned that, while a high proportion of Roma lack identity documents, they rarely turn to the courts owing to a lack of legal knowledge and financial resources. Despite the delegation’s assertion that the provision of free primary legal aid does not depend on the presentation of identity documents, the Committee is concerned at reports that legal assistance by the State-funded free secondary legal aid centres is not accessible to persons without identity documents (art. 2 (2)).
15. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Develop and adopt a strengthened Roma integration strategy covering the period beyond 2020, taking into account the results of the gender-responsive evaluation of the Strategy for the Protection and Integration of the Roma National Minority into Ukrainian Society for the period up to 2020 and its action plan ;
(b) Consider establishing institutional mechanisms to more effectively combat discrimination against Roma, especially Roma women and Roma persons with disabilities;
(c) Proactively address stigmatization and prejudices against Roma, including through awareness-raising campaigns;
(d) Raise awareness among Roma about the judicial procedure to obtain identity documents, and ensure their access to free legal services.
Equality between men and women
16.The Committee is concerned that, despite the legislation and a national programme for women’s equal rights, women do not enjoy de facto equality in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee is also concerned about the persistent gender stereotypes relating to the roles of men and women, which perpetuate gender inequality in the State party. As a result, women, particularly those in vulnerable situations such as internally displaced women and Roma women, continue to bear a disproportionate burden in terms of unpaid domestic and care work, which hinders their full participation in public life and in the labour market (arts. 3 and 6).
17. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Ensure the effective implementation of the State Social Program me on Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men for the period up to 2021, including by collecting gender-disaggregated statistics, particularly on the impact of poverty on differently situated groups of women;
(b) Implement the gender budgeting initiative approved pursuant to Order No. 1 of 2 January 2019, and consider including time-use surveys as a tool to measure the distribution of paid and unpaid work between women and men;
(c) Dispel gender stereotypes in the family and in society, including through awareness-raising campaigns designed to promote the equal sharing of family responsibilities, with a view to facilitating women ’ s equal participation in the labour market and other areas of social and cultural life.
18. In this regard, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 16 (2005) on the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights.
Women in employment
19.The Committee is concerned that women are underrepresented in public service and in the private labour market. It is also concerned at the horizontal and vertical sex segregation in the labour market and the large gender pay gap of 21.2 per cent (arts. 3, 6 and 7).
20. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Continue its efforts to promote increased participation of women in employment in the public and the private sector s ;
(b) Promote women ’ s full participation in the labour market, including by developing adequate and affordable day-care solutions and encouraging men to use their right to paternity leave and paid parental leave;
(c) Reduce the gender pay gap, including by fully incorporating the principle of equal pay for work of equal value into the l aw on e nsuring e qual r ights and o pportunities for w omen, and developing methods for an objective appraisal of the work to be performed with a view to developing a classification of jobs that is free from gender bias.
Right to work
21.While appreciating the overall increase in labour market participation and employment, the Committee is concerned at the high rate of unemployment among internally displaced persons, Roma and persons with disabilities (art. 6).
22. The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to increase the labour market participation of internally displaced persons, Roma and persons with disabilities, including by:
(a) Providing vocational education and training tailored to their experience and level of job skills;
(b) Enforcing the quotas for employment of persons with disabilities;
(c) Raising awareness of the existing programmes providing benefits for employers who hire internally displaced persons;
(d)A dopting a coherent approach to address housing and employment access in a coordinated manner , g iven the importance of housing for gaining and retaining employment, particularly in the case of internally displaced persons and Roma .
23. In this regard, the Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 18 (2005) on the right to work.
Just and favourable conditions of work
24.While recognizing the increase in the number of new registrations and enrolments in the social security system among informally employed persons, the Committee remains concerned at the prevalence of informal employment. Itis also concerned at the growing wage arrears, which amount to nearly 3.33 billionhryvnias, and at the lack of access by unpaid workers to effective remedies. The Committee is further concerned that the draft law on labour (No. 2708) and the draft law on amendments to the Labour Code of Ukraine concerning additional grounds for dismissal (No. 2584) raise serious concerns under the Covenant (arts. 6 and 7).
25. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Step up its efforts to regularize the status of workers engaged in the informal economy, especially migrant workers and women, and, pending this regularization, extend the coverage provided by existing labour and social protection legislation to them;
(b) Effectively monitor the payment of wages and establish an effective and accessible redress mechanism that provides not only for the payment of overdue amounts, but also for fair compensation for losses incurred on account of delayed payment;
(c) Ensure that all the regions in the State party have the material and human resources required to effectively monitor working conditions and that the orders of labour inspectors are duly complied with and implemented;
(d) Review the draft l aw s on l abour (No. 2708) and on a mendments to the Labour Code of Ukraine concerning a dditional g rounds for d ismissal (No. 2584) with a view to ensuring the right to protection against unfair dismissal, rest and leisure, limitation of working hours and payment of overtime hours , in full compliance with articles 6 and 7 of the Covenant.
26. In this regard, t he Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 23 (2016) on the right to just and favourable conditions of work.
Trade union rights
27.The Committee is concerned that amendments proposed by the State party in December 2019 to its labour laws (draft laws Nos. 2681 and 2682) will weaken the powers of trade unions, including the right to strike, resulting in violations of article 8 of the Covenant and other international standards (art. 8).
28. The Committee urges the State party to review the d raft l aw on a mendments to s ome l egislative a cts of Ukraine (regarding some issues of trade union activities) (No. 2681 ) and the d raft l aw on s trikes and l ockouts (No. 2682), with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of collective bargaining and of the right to union representation, in compliance with article 8 of the Covenant and the provisions of the International Labour Organization Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98). It also recommends that the State party ensure the protection of trade union activists from assaults, victimization and harassment.
Social security
29.While acknowledging the delegation’s explanation as to the complexity involved in identifying and verifying entitlements to pensions and other social benefits by residents of the non-government controlled area of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Committee is concerned that a large number of these residents have had their pension payments suspended, and continue to encounter difficulties accessing their pensions and other social benefits. These difficulties arise from the requirement that entitlement to pensions and other social benefits is conditional upon the recipients being registered as internally displaced persons, for which they must prove and maintain residency in government-controlled areas, requiring them to cross into government-controlled territory every 60 days. This requirement has a particularly severe impact on persons with limited mobility (art. 9).
30. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt legislation abolishing the requirement for residents of the non- government controlled area to register as internally displaced persons in order to access their pensions and other social benefits, and expedite the adoption of verification and payment procedures to enable residents of the non-government controlled area to access their social benefits without having to cross the contact line;
(b) Establish a specific procedure for the payment of the pensions arrears that have accumulated since payments were suspended;
(c) Ensure that social protection policies affecting residents of the non-government-controlled area do not directly or indirectly limit the social security rights to which the residents are entitled under the Covenant.
Birth and death registration and statelessness determination procedure
31.The Committee is concerned that, despite the legal framework in place, the State party’s authorities do not recognize medical documents confirming births and deaths issued in the non-government controlled area of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and that a judicial procedure is the only available way to obtain Ukrainian birth certificates for children born in those regions, leaving many children of vulnerable families without birth certificates. It is also concerned that only children born to stateless parents legally residing in the State party are eligible to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, while a statelessness determination procedure is still lacking in the State party (arts. 3 and 10).
32. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Reinforce its efforts to establish an administrative procedure to facilitate the registration of births and deaths occurring in the non- government controlled area of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
(b) Ensure the effective implementation of the Law on Particular Aspects of Public Policy Aimed at Safeguarding the Sovereignty of Ukraine over the Temporarily Occupied Territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk r egions of Ukraine (No. 2268), with a view to facilitating the verification of medical documents issued in the non- government controlled area;
(c) Prevent statelessness at birth, including by: ( i ) accelerating the establishment of a statelessness determination procedure; (ii) granting Ukrainian citizenship to stateless children born in the State party regardless of their parents ’ legal status; and (iii) fully incorporating into domestic legislation the provisions of the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Right to an adequate standard of living
33.The Committee is concerned that the new methodology established to calculate the current subsistence minimum in the State party does not adequately reflect the real cost of living and that it has a negative impact on people who depend on social benefits that are calculated on the basis of this indicator, especially women. The lack of indexing of the social benefits with the real cost of living results in a decline in living standards of those depending on these benefits (art. 11).
34. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the process of amending its method of calculatin g the subsistence minimum, based on objective indicators that reflect the actual subsistence level, with a view to ensuring an adequate standard of living.
Right to housing
35.The Committee is concerned that the statistical survey on the housing register and housing allocation has not been carried out since 2015 in the State party and that there are no alternative data or indicators available that would allow targeted development and implementation of its housing policy. The Committee is also concerned that housing remains one of the most serious problems for Roma persons and that the amount of the housing subsidy is insufficient in the light of rising living costs. While noting the delegation’s statement that a working group within the Coordination Council for the respect of the rights of internally displaced persons and persons residing in the temporarily occupied territory has been created for the assessment and restitution of, and compensation for, property damaged or destroyed during the armed hostilities, the Committee regrets the delay in establishing an administrative mechanism to this end. It is also concerned that the issue of military use of civilian property has not been resolved (art. 11).
36. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Develop and effectively implement a human-rights based national strategy on housing, and, to this end, collect disaggregated statistics, especially on the housing situation of vulnerable groups and individuals;
(b) Increase the housing subsidy to make it commensurate with living costs;
(c) Accelerate the establishment of an administrative mechanism to provide compensation for property damaged or destroyed du ring the armed hostilities , and effectively address the issue of military use of civilian property, including by providing compensation and alternative housing.
37. In this regard, t he Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing.
Right to health
38.The Committee is concerned at reports that, despite their entitlement to free health-care services, refugees and persons with complementary protection are often required to pay unofficial fees for medical examinations and medication. It is also concerned that the recent reform of the health-care system has deprived asylum seekers of their previously existing entitlement to free health-care services, including urgent medical assistance and initial medical examinations (art. 12).
39. The Committee recommends that the State party take all measures necessary to ensure that all persons in the State party, including refugees and asylum seekers, have equal access to preventive, curative and palliative health services, regardless of their legal status and identity documents. The Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health and to its statement on the duties of States towards refugees and migrants under the Covenant (E/C.12/2017/1).
Mental health
40.While noting the provision of rehabilitation services and psychological assistance to war veterans and other conflict-affected populations, the Committee is concerned that those persons still have limited access to mental health care and psychological support, including due to a lack of medical personnel and facilities. It is particularly concerned that children living close to the contact line do not have adequate access to psychological support. The Committee is also concerned at the general social stigmatization of persons with mental health conditions (art. 12).
41. The Committee urges the State party to:
(a) Adopt a national mental health policy aimed at making mental health services available and accessible to all and ensure its implementation at both the national and regional levels;
(b) Develop systematic S tate policies and program me s on providing mental health services and psychosocial aid to all those affected by the conflict, including internally displaced persons, and to teachers, social workers and school psychologists, especially those who live close to the conflict area;
(c) Develop and implement a targeted policy to address the needs of conflict-affected population s , including by collecting statistical data in this regard, and ensure that children living close to the contact line have adequate access to mental health care, including the services of social workers and school psychologists;
(d) Take effective measures to combat the social stigmatization of persons with mental health conditions.
Drug use
42.While recognizing the State party’s evidence-based policies to address drug abuse, such as opioid substitution therapy and harm reduction programmes, the Committee is concerned at the criminalization of possession of very small amounts of drugs, which prevents drug users from gaining access to the necessary treatment or harm reduction programmes for fear of criminalization. It is further concerned at the high prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C infection among those who inject drugs, at the restricted access of prisoners to opioid substitution therapy and harm reduction programmes, and at the persistent social stigmatization of drug users. It notes with concern the lack of information provided on the privatization of certain opioid substitution therapy programmes and the authorities’ oversight of these programmes (art. 12).
43.The Committee recommends that the State party apply a coherent human rights-based approach to drug users and consider decriminalizing drug possession for personal consumption. The Committee also encourages the State party to continue its efforts to expand harm reduction programmes, particular ly in prisons, and ensure the quality and adequacy of the privatized opioid substitution therapy programmes. The State party should also take the necessary measures to combat social stigma against drug users by training the police, social workers, child protection officers and medical professionals and raising awareness among the public, especially about drug users ’ right to health.
Right to education
44.The Committee is concerned at the regional disparities in access to quality education in the State party. While noting the increased number of children with disabilities enrolled in inclusive classes, it is concerned that problems remain in the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic”. The Committee is also concerned at the persistently high rate of illiteracy among the Roma population, the high dropout rates among Roma children in secondary education, and the underrepresentation of Roma children in secondary and tertiary education, as well as the de facto segregation of Roma children. It regrets the lack of disaggregated data on the percentage of Roma children enrolled at different educational levels (arts. 13 and 14).
45. The Committee encourages the State party to enhance its efforts towards achieving universal access to quality education at all levels. It recommends that the State party:
(a) Ensure just and fair distribution of resources across the regions and pay particular attention to rural areas and areas along the contact line;
(b) Facilitate the access of children with disabilities to inclusive education, including through improving the physical accessibility of schools, providing adequate transportation, equipping schools with adapted learning materials and providing teachers and educators with adequate training;
(c) Take effective measures to ensure access to education by all Roma children, raise their secondary school completion rate and increase the number of Roma children in secondary and tertiary education. In this regard, the State party should collect disaggregated statistics on the percentage of Roma children enrolled at different educational levels;
(d) Address the de facto school segregation by taking measures to increase the enrolment of Roma children in mainstream schools, including through raising awareness among parents belonging to different ethnic groups of the benefits of ethnic diversity.
46. In this regard, t he Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 13 (1999) on the right to education.
Minority languages
47.The Committee is concerned that the law on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as the State language (No. 2704-VIII)provides for different treatment of different minority languages. It is also concerned that this law refers extensively to an, as yet, non-existent law on indigenous peoples and minorities, which leaves a legal gap in the protection of minority languages (art. 15).
48. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that ethnic minority groups, indigenous peoples and other groups have equal opportunities to learn their languages and to use the m in private and in public. To this end, the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Ensure that any review, application and interpretation of the l aw on e nsuring the f un ctioning of Ukrainian as the State l anguage (No. 2704-VIII) and of the law on e ducation ( No. 2145-VIII ) result in full compliance with articles 2 (2) and 15 of the Covenant, particular ly with regard to the different treatment of the languages of indigenous peoples, the languages of national minorities that are official languages of the European Union and the languages of national minorities that are not official languages of the European Union;
(b) Expedite the preparation and adoption of the draft law on the realization of the rights of i ndigenous p eople s and n ational m inorities of Ukraine , and ensure that it fully complies with article 15 of the Covenant and that representatives of indigenous peoples and national minorities are adequately consulted in this process.
D.Other recommendations
49. The Committee recommends that the State party consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
50. The Committee recommends that the State party take fully into account its obligations under the Covenant and ensure the full enjoyment of the rights enshrined therein in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the national level, with international assistance and cooperation when needed. Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals would be significantly facilitated by the State party establishing independent mechanisms to monitor progress and treating beneficiaries of public programmes as rights holders who can claim entitlements. Implementing the Goals on the basis of the principles of participation, accountability and non-discrimination would ensure that no one is left behind. In this regard, the Committee draws the State party ’ s attention to its statement on the pledge to leave no one behind (E/C.12/2019/1).
51. The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to progressively develop and apply appropriate indicators on the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights in order to facilitate the assessment of progress achieved by the State party in complying with its obligations under the Covenant for various segments of the population. In that context, the Committee refers the State party to, inter alia, the conceptual and methodological framework on human rights indicators developed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HRI/MC/2008/3).
52. The Committee requests that the State party disseminate the present concluding observations widely at all levels of society, including at the national, provincial and municipal levels, in particular among parliamentarians, public officials and judicial authorities, and that it inform the Committee in its next periodic report about the steps taken to implement them. The Committee encourages the State party to engage with the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society in the follow-up to the present concluding observations and in the process of consultation at the national level prior to the submission of its next periodic report.
53. In accordance with the procedure on follow-up to concluding observations adopted by the Committee, the State party is requested to provide, within 24 months of the adoption of the present concluding observations, information on the implementation of the recommendations contained in paragraphs 30 (social security); 32 (birth and death registration and statelessness determination procedure); and 48 (b) (minority languages) above.
54. The Committee requests the State party to submit its eighth periodic report by 31 March 2025. To that end, and given that the State party has accepted the simplified reporting procedure , the Committee will, in due course, transmit to it a list of issues prior to reporting. The State party ’ s replies to that list of issues will constitute its eighth periodic report under article 16 of the Covenant. In addition, the Committee invites the State party to update its common core document, as necessary, in accordance with the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6, chap. I).