Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Assessment of Ukraine
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DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINE FINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Tetra Tech ARD. This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development by Tetra Tech ARD, through a Task Order under the Analytical Services III Indefinite Quantity Contract Task Order No. AID-OAA-TO-12-00016. This report was prepared by: Tetra Tech ARD 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, Vermont 05401 USA Telephone: (802) 495-0282 Fax: (802) 658-4247 E-Mail: [email protected] Tetra Tech ARD Contact: Kelly Kimball, Project Manager Tel: (802) 495-0599 Email: [email protected] DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINE FINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS, DEFINITIONS AND KEY PLAYERS ............................................III ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS ....................................................................... III KEY PLAYERS ............................................................................................. IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................... VI 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES ...................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................... 1 1.2 CURRENT SITUTATION AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES .................. 1 1.2.1 immediate challenges .......................................................................... 2 1.3 CONTEXTUAL FACTORS ...................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Geography and Natural Resources ..................................................... 6 1.3.2 Economic, and Social Factors ............................................................. 6 1.3.3 Historical Legacies ............................................................................... 7 2.0 THE KEY DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES IN UKRAINE .................................................................... 8 2.1 CONSENSUS ...................................................................................... 8 2.2 INCLUSION ........................................................................................10 2.3 COMPETITION AND POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY ..................................12 2.4 RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS .....................................................14 2.4.1 Rule of Law ........................................................................................ 14 2.4.2 Human Rights .................................................................................... 15 2.4.3 Corruption .......................................................................................... 16 2.5 GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS .......................18 2.5.1 E-governance .................................................................................... 20 2.6 DISTILLING THE DRG PROBLEM .........................................................21 3.0 KEY ACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS ........................................................22 3.1 THE EXECUTIVE ................................................................................22 3.2 THE LEGISLATURE .............................................................................22 3.3 THE JUDICIARY AND LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ......................................24 3.3.1 The Courts ......................................................................................... 24 3.3.2 The Prosecutors ................................................................................ 25 3.3.3 The Police .......................................................................................... 26 3.4 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS ............................................26 3.5 POLITICAL PARTIES ...........................................................................27 3.6 SECURITY SERVICES .........................................................................27 3.7 MEDIA ..............................................................................................28 3.8 CIVIL SOCIETY ..................................................................................29 3.9 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ........................................................................31 3.10 OTHER NON-STATE ACTORS .............................................................32 3.11 DISTILLING THE ACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS ........................................34 4.0 CONCLUSIONS AND PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS ..........36 4.1 ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW, DRG OBJECTIVE, AND DEVELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS .....................................................................................36 4.2 U.S. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT AND CURRENT USAID DRG PROGRAMMING IN UKRAINE ...............................................................37 4.2.1 U.S. Foreign Policy in the Ukraine ..................................................... 37 DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINE i 4.2.2 USAID’s DRG Current Program ........................................................ 37 4.2.3 USAID Resources .............................................................................. 37 4.3 OTHER DONOR ACTIVITIES ................................................................37 4.4 PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND ILLUSTRATIVE ACTIVITIES ...38 ii DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINE ACRONYMS, DEFINITIONS AND KEY PLAYERS ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS ATO Anti-Terrorist Operation; Ukrainian military and security operations in eastern Ukraine since April 2014 CSO Civil Society Organization DNR Donetsk People’s Republic separatist enclave DoJ United States Department of Justice DRG Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Eastern Partnership EU’s policy toward the former USSR with whom Ukraine negotiated (2007–2012) and signed the Association Agreement (2014), within which is included the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and Visa Free regime. The Association Agreement offers European integration but not membership to Eastern Partnership members. Three of the six members of the Eastern Partnership (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova) have signed the Association Agreement. EU European Union Frozen Conflict Crimea was invaded and annexed by Russia in March 2014 and constitutes a frozen conflict with no ongoing hostilities. The EU, U.S., Canada, and the majority of United Nations member states do not recognize the annexation. FTUU Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine Gas Lobby Term used to describe Ukraine’s oligarch clan with ties to the gas sector GDP Gross Domestic Product GIZ German Technical Cooperation Agency GoU Government of Ukraine IDP Internally Displaced Persons IMF International Monetary Fund INL U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement KPU Communist Party of Ukraine (since 1993) LGBTI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex LNR Luhansk People’s Republic separatist enclave MEDT Ministry of Economic Development and Trade MP Member of Parliament NABU National Anti-Corruption Bureau NAPC National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINE iii NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NGO Non-Governmental Organization OPDAT Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training Opposition Bloc Former leaders of the Party of Regions and allies of President Yanukovych elected into Parliament (2014) PACE Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe PGO Prosecutor General’s Office Political Projects Political parties funded by oligarchs, usually for election cycles SBU Security Service of Ukraine SIDA Swedish International Development Agency Ukrainian Orthodox Church Official name of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine Unresolved Conflict Term used to describe the Donbas conflict, in which one side (the central government or the separatists) has not been defeated; Kyiv or Moscow has not achieved its objectives; and there is continued war. An unresolved conflict is different from the frozen conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, where Russian-backed separatists defeated the central governments in the early 1990s, the war ended, and the conflict was frozen in Moscow’s favor. USAID United States Agency for International Development USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Venice Commission Council of Europe’s European Commission for Democracy through Law KEY PLAYERS Renat Akhmetov: Donetsk oligarch and chairperson of Capital Systems Management; owner of TRK Ukayina television channel; one of the top 50 wealthiest persons in the world (until 2014); financier of the Party of Regions; close ally of Viktor Yanukovych (since mid-1990s) Nikolai Azarov: Head of the State Tax Administration (1996–2002); Prime Minister (2010–2012, 2012– 2014); and leader of the Party of Regions (2000–2001, 2010–2014); fled to Russia (2014) and is wanted by Interpol Dmytro Firtash: Unofficial leader of the “gas lobby.” The U.S. has requested his extradition from Vienna on corruption charges, but the request was not upheld during the initial trial, and it is currently under appeal. He is also co-owner of the Inter television channel with Serhiy Lyovochkin, senior adviser to President