REPORT on the activity of the Non-Governmental Organisation “Helsinki Initiative – XXI” during 2008

In January 2008, a public human rights reception office began its work in Ternopil, created in partnership with the ENGO “Green World” and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU). During 2008, the reception provided legal assistance to 326 citizens (175 women and 151 men). The largest category of applicants was pensioners (27.3%). Most often, appeals concerned violations of citizens' rights and interests by state authorities and local self-government bodies (25.8%), administrations of enterprises of all forms of ownership (13.5%), courts (14.1%), and police bodies (8.9%). Throughout the year, 10 mobile outreach sessions were held, including 7 receptions in the districts of Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk regions which were declared environmental emergency zones by the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 682/2008 due to the flood that occurred on 23-27 July 2008.

More than 20 publications about cases of human rights violations, the activities of the “Helsinki Initiative – XXI” and the UHHRU, and the work of the public reception in Ternopil were placed in the newspapers “Svoboda” (Ternopil), “I Plyus” (Chortkiv), “Pravda Ukrainy” (Kyiv), “20 Khvylyn” (Ternopil), “Holos Narodu” (Chortkiv), and others.

Information regarding the work of the public reception office is also available on the websites of the ENGO “Green World” (www.greenworld.org.ua) and the UHHRU (www.helsinki.org.ua).

The text of the section “Compliance with Ecological Rights” was written for the annual report of Ukrainian human rights organisations “Human Rights in Ukraine – 2007”.

Throughout 2008, the Chairman of the “Helsinki Initiative – XXI”, O. Stepanenko, coordinated the work of the group developing the draft “Declaration of Ethical Principles of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union” – a basic document of ethical self-regulation in the association's activity. At the UHHRU General Meeting in May 2008, the draft Declaration was discussed, and it was decided to submit it for approval at the next General Meeting.

In June 2008, a draft text of the “Open Appeal of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union regarding non-compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention in Ukraine”, addressed to the participants of the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Convention in Riga, was developed.

Two press conferences were held for local media: for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, and for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

Financial operations of the NGO “Helsinki Initiative – XXI” were not conducted during 2008.

Chairman of the “Helsinki Initiative – XXI”

Stepanenko O. M.