New Parliamentary Coalition To Ensure Right of Freedom of Conscience and Religion

KYIV – The parliament’s newspaper Voice of Ukraine on March 16, 2010, published the full text of the agreement on establishing a new coalition of deputies’ factions “Stability and Reforms” in the Supreme Council of Ukraine. Certain provisions of the document allow one to make some conclusions as to the future state policy of the government and the parliamentary coalition in the area of ensuring the right to the freedom of religion and church-state relations, reports the Institute of Religious Freedom.

According to Item 3.1 of Chapter 3 of the agreement on the humanitarian policy the new parliamentary coalition intends to ensure “effective protection of rights and freedoms of the citizens, particularly, by way of establishing a well-developed civil society, where a citizen may develop and self-realize.”

The authorities will also promote “the independent activity of associations of citizens, the increase of their influence on passing important decisions ensuring the freedom of speech and independence of mass media.”

It is notable that the issue of ensuring the right to the freedom of religion in the coalition agreement found its reflection in Item 3.4 on the promotion of cultural development of Ukrainian citizens and not among the program principles in the area of the human rights (Item 3.1).