28.11.2019
JOINT ACTION PLAN following the third Round Table on Religious Freedom in Ukraine
- Exchange information continuously between the religious and human rights communities, as well as with government authorities on the international events, attendance of which would be expedient for religious figures and human rights defenders in order to convey to the international community unbiased information about the religious situation in Ukraine, particularly in the Russian-occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas, as well as share with other Round Table participants the outcomes of attendance at such events (the Round Table Secretariat shall contribute such mutual communication).
- Conduct advocacy, at the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2019 and at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2020, for the recommendations contained in two resolutions adopted by the Round Table on Religious Freedom in Ukraine.
- Study the available experience of the social case work system adopted by religious and civil society organisations for the families of POWs or persons held in captivity following the Russian aggression (pastoral care, psychological assistance, employment, renewal of documents, addressing domestic problems, etc.). Based on this, develop a pilot project encompassing ten families, following which, promote best practices of social case work across a wider range of religious organisations and families.
- Set up a joint task group to document new instances of religious persecution in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas and notify international organisations thereof promptly.
- In 2020, present at the European Parliament and at the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting of OSCE in Warsaw a report by human rights organisations about freedom of religion in the occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas.
- Prepare a joint appeal by the Round Table participants concerning the need to implement the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Missing Persons”, especially those related to setting up a register of missing persons and victims of Russian aggression.
- Organise meetings with parliamentary factions, to be attended by persons released from captivity, in support of the draft Law No. 0892 designed to criminalise crimes against humanity and to bring liability for war crimes in line with international law.
- Set up a register of persons responsible for religion-based crimes in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas with the purpose of their prosecution and imposition of personal sanctions by the Government of Ukraine and foreign governments, modelled on the Magnitsky Act.
- As part of the National Human Rights Non-Conference to be held on December 10–11 in Kyiv, hold a workshop dedicated to documenting persecution on religious grounds.
- Schedule the next meeting of the Round Table on Religious Freedom, to be attended by representatives of various parliamentary factions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (tentatively in February 2019).
