PACE preparing new resolution on prisoner exchange - MP

Ukrainian MP Yelyzaveta Yasko, a rapporteur at the PACE on this issue, told this to Ukrinform's correspondent in Strasbourg.

According to her, in the process of preparing the document, it is planned to organize hearings with international organizations in order to encourage them to work more effectively.

"It is necessary to ensure that such organizations as the Red Cross, OSCE, and various UN agencies -- which should deal with important humanitarian issues, including visiting prisoners, recording crimes, providing aid -- work more effectively for Ukraine. Unfortunately, even ten years ago, the same entities were much more effective during conflicts," Yasko said.

In the process of preparation, the PACE's political committee will organize a series of hearings to analyze the work of these entities and choose the mechanisms that can be applied so that they carry out the work that they declare in their charter.

"We want to involve various international organizations in a constructive dialogue and conduct an audit, that is, honestly list what they managed to do and what they failed to do. And why? The international community very often says they want to solve it. But for some reason they can't. What is clear to us Ukrainians is far from clear to everyone in Europe," Yasko said.

The possible ways to change, according to her, include reforming the work and creating new missions on specific issues.

"If these organizations are not able to cope with a wide spectrum, perhaps they will be more effective in certain issues - assistance with the return of children or prisoners of war and compliance with the Geneva Convention. I think that together with international pressure and together with the Council of Europe, we will be able to get better results," Yasko said.

She said that the Council of Europe is the organization that currently occupies a leading role in the observance and reconstruction of international law and is in the fairway of supporting Ukraine.

"We all need justice in international law, so that crimes committed by Russia are punished," she added.

The PACE has recently adopted the first resolution concerning Ukrainian civilian and military prisoners. In the document, the Council of Europe for the first time raised the issue of the release and further rehabilitation of Ukrainian prisoners and demanded that Russia comply with the provisions of international humanitarian law.