A Coordination Meeting of the Monitoring Group was held in Chernihiv at the initiative of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine and UN Women in Ukraine – Chernihiv Public Committee for Human Rights

The representative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for Human Rights Protection Iryna Biryuk took part in the Coordination Meeting of the Monitoring Group at the initiative of the Representation of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chernihiv Oblast, the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine and UN Women Ukraine.

The event was also attended by the heads of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration and the Chernihiv District Council, representatives of the structural divisions of the OVA, the Chernihiv Regional Center for Social Services, the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, law enforcement agencies, public organizations, as well as other interested persons.

The purpose of the event is to summarize the two-day monitoring visits to Osterska urban and Ivanovska rural territorial communities of Chernihiv region.

The meeting took place in the format of a moderated discussion led by Myroslava Babak, national consultant for expert support to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The attendees were welcomed by:

Larysa Shumna, Representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in Chernihiv region;

Yana Nesterevich, Deputy Head of the Department for the Protection of Equal Rights and Prevention of Discrimination Secretariat of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada and Head of the Monitoring Group;

Yulia Honchar, Program Analyst, UN Women Ukraine.

The main events of the event were:

▪ discussion of the main challenges faced by communities and finding ways to overcome them.

▪ exchange of participants’ experiences and obtaining practical recommendations for further work.

▪ presentation of methodological recommendations developed by The Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine together with international partners.

The participants took part in panel discussions on gender equality and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups. This was a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, present implemented projects and develop new ideas for future work. It is worth emphasizing that it is thanks to the cooperation of local governments and public organizations that it is possible to promptly respond to the needs of vulnerable groups – both women and men. Such interaction is extremely important in the face of modern challenges. The meeting became a platform for constructive dialogue and joint efforts to protect the rights of all residents of Chernihiv region.

Thank you to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in Chernihiv region.