Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 20, 2012 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development today tabled a comprehensive report entitled: Rule of Law, Democracy and Prosperity in Ukraine: A Canadian Parliamentary Perspective. The report makes eight recommendations for Canadian policy towards Ukraine.

Events in Ukraine over the past two years have drawn international condemnation, as former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and other opposition figures have been convicted in apparently politically-motivated prosecutions. These high-profile cases have occurred against broader rule of law challenges in Ukraine, detailed in this report, which are hindering the country’s democratic development and economic potential.

While not new, these criticisms are given new urgency by the fact that Ukraine will hold parliamentary elections in October 2012 that will set political conditions for the next several years. Their conduct will be a key litmus test for Ukraine’s democratic trajectory and will impact its position within Europe and its relations with democracies like Canada. Committee Chair Dean Allison stated: “Given the history of strong ties between Canada and Ukraine, Committee Members wanted to ensure that the Government of Canada heard the views of parliamentarians from all parties as it formulates policies at this critical time. It was also important for Ukraine’s government and its citizens to hear from Members that Canada is following developments there very closely, and for the Committee to be exposed to the situation on the ground before making its recommendations to the Government of Canada.”

The Committee held its first hearing at the time of Ms. Tymoshenko’s conviction in October 2011, benefiting from the perspective of Ukrainian-Canadian groups and departmental officials. During further hearings in March 2012, the Committee met with Ukrainian politicians, regional experts and representatives of Ukrainian civil society.

The culmination of the Committee’s work was a fact-finding mission to Ukraine from 13-18 May 2012. An all-party delegation met with a broad range of opposition and government politicians, civil society representatives, independent media, experts and others. While the Committee held a number of meetings in the capital city, Kyiv, it also travelled to Kharkiv and Lviv, which provided Members with critical information about Ukraine’s regional dynamics and challenges.

According to Committee Vice-Chair Paul Dewar, “The narrowing democratic space in Ukraine means that, going forward, support must focus on civil society development and public engagement, media freedom and judicial independence. These are the key components of a democratic society. We need to find, focus on and assist citizens in Ukraine who believe in that country’s democratic future.” Vice-Chair Dominic LeBlanc agreed, adding that, “The backbone of any prosperous society is the middle class. But, the same issues that are affecting Ukraine’s political environment – weak rule of law and corruption – are holding back small business development and foreign investment. Ukraine’s citizens will not benefit equitably from that country’s significant economic potential until these problems are addressed.”