Ukraine: basic facts
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© UNICEF/UKR-00050/Pirozzi |
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2005, the city of Kyiv, the capital |
Politics:
1917: the collapse of Tsarist Russia brings about a short-lived period of Ukrainian independence (1917-1920).
1920: Ukraine becomes a part of the USSR and suffers from two politically generated famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over eight million people die.
1939-1945: In World War II some seven to eight million Ukrainians lost their lives.
1991: independence for Ukraine at the time of the break up of the USSR.
Today: the legacy of state control largely remains, and efforts to reform the economy, make progress with privatisation and enhance civil liberties have been slow.
Policies on women and children
- Ukraine ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991 and submitted its first country report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (overseeing CRC implementation) in 1993, and its second report in 1999.
- Ukraine has also ratified:
- Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (April 2003), the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (June 2004) and the Amendment to Article 43.2 of CRC (April 2003).
- Optional Protocol to CEDAW (June 2003).
- UN Convention against Trans-national Organized Crime (February 2004).
- In 2001 Parliament adopted the Law on Child Protection, the Law on Social Work with Children and Youth and the Law on Prevention of Family Violence. These need regulatory instruments to translate law into action for children.
- The National AIDS Programme to fight HIV/AIDS in Ukraine 2004-08 and National Concept Paper to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS until 2011 have been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers (March 2004).
- In February 2004 the State Committee of Family and Youth was renamed the Ministry of Family, Children and Youth – the first time that “children” has been in its title. In September 2005 it was renamed the Ministry in Family, Youth and Sport.
- Women have little influence, accounting for only 9.5% of 450 Parliamentary Deputies. There is only one woman Governor.
Economic
- Ukraine is a low income country with GNI per capita of US$ 970. An estimated 68% of Ukrainians live in urban areas. Population is decreasing by 1% per annum.
- There has been economic growth since 2000, but living standards are falling. Official GDP is at 40% of its 1990 level. Poverty has soared: in 1999, 29% of the population were living below the poverty line (World Bank) and 3% lived in extreme poverty.
Structural
- Head of State: President Viktor Yuschenko
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych (appointed in August 2006).
- Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the President and approved by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament).
- Unicameral Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) (450 seats elected by proportional system)
- Ukraine has 27 regions: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, 24 provinces (oblasts) and the cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol.
