ANNUAL REPORTOF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CHAPTER 1 50 To the Ministry of Health of Ukraine: 1. To bring the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine #251 of 14 August 1998, registered at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 11 September 1998 under #563/3003 “On Approval of the Regulation on the System of Licensed Integrated Examinations of Specialists with Higher Education in the Areas of Medicine and Pharmacy” and the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine #53 of 31 January 2005, registered at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 17 February 2005 under #244/10524 “On Approval of the Regulations on the Organization and Procedure for State Certification of Students Enrolled in Higher Education Institutions of 3rd and 4th Accreditation Level in the Area of Medicine” in compliance with requirements of the Laws of Ukraine “On Education,” “On Higher Education.” 2. To adopt a sectorial legal act to approve the Procedure of Conducting Licensed Integrated Examinations that will specify that the respective exams are organized by the public organization “Centre for Testing Professional Competence of Specialists with Higher Education in the Areas of Medicine and Pharmacy at the Ministry of Health.” 1.5. Right to culture The issue of creating an effective system of providing the population with accessible and high-quality cultural services is of particular importance given the culture reform in the context of decentralization. Within the framework of the Commissioner’s exercise of parliamentary oversight over the observance of the constitutional rights of citizens in in the area of culture in the context of decentralization, four monitoring visits were made to local executive authorities and local self-government bodies, as well as to their subordinate cultural institutions in Kharkiv, Kyiv and Vinnytsia oblasts. The monitoring covered 22 facilities. Monitoring findings and appeals from citizens indicate that there are a number of problems and unsettled issues in terms of ensuring the conditions for the exercise of cultural rights. It is not uncommon that during the amalgamation of territorial communities, newly-formed local selfgovernment bodies refuse to enter cultural institutions in their books. The lack of effective managerial decisions leads to the fact that local budgets are not capable of maintaining cultural institutions on their own. As a result, the network of cultural and artistic institutions is reduced by 2,000-2,5000 units each year, and the accessibility of cultural services is limited23. Although the Law of Ukraine “On Voluntary Amalgamation of Territorial Communities” #157-VIII of 5 February 2015 stipulates that the ATC population should be provided with cultural and artistic services at a level no lower than prior to amalgamation, approval of minimum standards for providing citizens with cultural services and the responsibility of the authorities for the preservation and development of cultural and artistic institutions in the regions remains an issue. Ordinance of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine #27-r of 23 January 2019 “On Approving the Concept of Reforming the System of Providing Cultural Services to Population.” 23