A/HRC/8/45 Page 9 minorities. Following the June 2007 second meeting of the sub-commission, a decision was taken to carry out a joint monitoring of the state of exercise of the rights of Russian minority in Ukraine. There had already been positive experience in that area. The final third stage of the joint UkrainianRomanian monitoring of the state of exercise of the rights of Romanian minority in Ukraine is planned for May-June 2008, with participation of experts from the Council of Europe and OSCE. 30. The legislation guarantees freedom of choice of language for education for the national minorities in Ukraine. The language of tuition is a decision taken by parents and children themselves, and the schools adapt to their demand. Of the some 4.6 million students enrolled in the secondary education system, there are around 860,000 students who receive education in Russian language, which correspond to the overall percentage of the population. 31. Ukraine has always supported the idea of establishing an international criminal court and has actively taken part in the drafting and signing of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Ukraine fully subscribes to the Statute, evidenced by the fact that Ukraine has signed and ratified the International Convention on Privileges and Immunities for the ICC. The ratification of the ICC Statute requires constitutional amendments, which has not yet been done for technical reasons. 32. Canada noted the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee to ensure that all members of ethnic, religious and linguistic groups are protected against violence and discrimination and the recommendation of CERD to take preventive measures to protect the religious sites of minorities. Canada took note of the adoption of the Domestic Violence Act in 2006 and the establishment of crisis and rehabilitation centres for victims of abuse, and also noted the CESCR recommendation to proceed with the adoption of a criminal law provision criminalizing domestic violence. Canada also noted the legal reforms to the criminal legal justice system and measures taken to reduce prison population and to ensure that detainees are treated humanely and efforts to provide alternative sanctions from crimes and emphasis being placed to rehabilitate those incarcerated. It observed that the Human Rights Committee has recommended the establishment of an independent police complaints mechanism and CAT recommended that all allegations of torture and ill treatment be promptly and impartially investigated. Canada recommended (a) that Ukraine take measures to implement the Human Rights Committee and CERD recommendations to protect the rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. (b) It called for concerted public efforts to combat xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, and religious intolerance and to pursue and prosecute the perpetrators of such offences. (c) It also recommended taking measures to criminalize domestic violence in accordance with CESCR recommendations; to continue to fund and set up victim-centric services for women and children dealing with domestic violence; (d) and to take measures to implement CESCR, CAT and Human Rights Committee recommendations regarding prison conditions and the treatment of detainees. 33. The United States of America asked about steps taken to improve conditions in the pre-trail detention facilities and to solve problems resulting from overcrowding and inadequate medical care. It asked what Ukraine was doing to comply with its laws regarding the length of pre-trial detention. The United States recommended that the Government vigorously investigate and prosecute prison and police officials guilty of the mistreatment of detainees and prisoners. In addition, it recommended to the Government to change its domestic laws to make confessions obtained under torture inadmissible as evidence in criminal court proceedings against the person who confessed. It noted the lack of a clearly defined asylum authority, which has led to a great deal of confusion; asylum seekers often lacking registration documents and unable to legally obtain work and housing, and reports of refoulement of asylum-seekers. The United States recommended that Ukraine

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