Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine creates Human Rights Unit with EUAM support
May 26, 2017
At a meeting with experts from the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) on Tuesday 23 May, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of the Interior Tetiana Kovalchuk announced that the Ministry had set up a dedicated Human Rights Department.
This is the first department of its kind within Ukraine’s Ministry of the Interior (MoIA) and the structure, tasks and staffing of the new body follow many recommendations made by EUAM.
During the meeting, EUAM advisers were also introduced to the new Head of the Department, who will oversee the process of setting up this important new addition to the MoIA organisational structure.
“This is an important step for the Ministry and for Ukraine because it will increase the Ministry’s capacity to exercise oversight and monitor human rights compliance within its area of responsibility,” said Cristina Meuller, EUAM Lead Adviser on Human Resources Management. “The creation of the Directorate is likely to result in greater transparency and human rights compliance within the agencies under the MoIA.”
EUAM will continue to offer support for the new directorate in terms of strategic advice and training in the coming months. This assistance is expected to be similar in scope to the ongoing activities provided for the new Human Rights Directorate in the National Police of Ukraine, which has been advised by EUAM experts since the department was set up in summer 2016.
