The regular meeting of the working sub-group on confirmation of civil status and agreements, and recognition of relevant legal facts (hereinafter – the sub-group) was supported by the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of IDPs in Ukraine” and took place in the Office of the Council of Europe in Kyiv on 2 of March. The sub-group is a part of the Working Group on improving national legislation on the protection of the human rights of IDPs, established by the order of the Minister of temporary occupied territories and IDPs of Ukraine from 12.10.2016.

Currently the subgroup is working on improvement of legislation of Ukraine in the part of legalization of inheritance and execution of other notarial acts with properties, located on the non-government controlled area (hereinafter – the NGCA).

On the previous meeting in February participants expressed the suggestion that representatives of relevant departments of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine should also be invited to the meetings of the sub-group. Thus, the representatives of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, Notary Chamber of Ukraine (hereinafter – the NCU), Coordinating Center for Legal Aid Providing and the Project team were present at the meeting.

Participants discussed the issues occurred while disposition of property which is located on the NGCA, legalization of heritance after persons who lived there, and analyzed proposals to address these issues.

In particular, the draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine to ensure the right to property”, prepared by the NCU was considered. It aims on regulating the issue of defining a place where notarial acts can be executed regarding a property, located on the NGCA, as well as referring permission to the guardianship authorities, in case if the property rights owned by children.

In conclusion, participants agreed to have an extra working meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and NCU, where the issues of legalization of property received from persons died on the NGCA will be further discussed.

The members of the sub-group emphasized on the need of faster finalization of legislative proposals aimed at ensuring the right to property, located on the NGCA, for its further processing by the Ministry of temporarily occupied territories and IDPs of Ukraine and referral to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.