ANNUAL REPORTOF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 120 Stanytsia-Luhanska checkpoint is one of the most crowded.. During the reporting year, 3.6 million citizens of Ukraine crossed the ‘contact line’ there (or 26 per cent of all those who crossed the ‘contact line’ in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts). The large number of people crossing at this checkpoint shows that there is an urgent need to increase the number of checkpoints, especially in Luhansk oblast, where only pedestrian crossing is possible. Specifically, an agreement should be made with the occupation administration of the Russian Federation on the opening of Zolote checkpoint. Representatives of the Commissioner for the Observance of the Rights of Residents of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol and Residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts monitor observance of the rights of persons crossing the checkpoints. In 2019, 13 monitoring visits were conducted. According to the latest monitoring, after the repair and rearrangement of the checkpoint, the situation concerning the rights of citizens who cross the checkpoints and the conditions of their stay at the checkpoint have significantly improved compared to previous monitoring visits. In particular, the State Emergency Service has established standing heating points (instead of tents) where people can get hot tea. There are medical centres, places for recreation with canopies and toilets, including for persons with disabilities (however, the number of toilets is still insufficient, as an average of 8-10,000 people travel through the checkpoint every day). In addition, the monitoring established that the Centre for Administrative Service Provision located at Kalanchak checkpoint is not actually functioning. According to Kherson State Oblast Administration, it is operating in pilot mode. Not every checkpoint has information and explanatory stands, and where there are information stands these contain outdated information. Conditions at the checkpoints do not meet sanitary and hygienic norms. Crossing the ‘contact line’ is still physically difficult for a lot of older people and persons with disabilities. For example, last year, ambulances were called to the checkpoints 290 times, with 27 deaths recorded. CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS To the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: 1. Make a decision on determining the status of the checkpoints, their subordination and the balance holder, in order to ensure the maintenance of the checkpoint infrastructure and to enable appropriate conditions for citizens when they cross the ‘contact line’. 2. Ensure that ambulances and other emergency healthcare services are always available at the checkpoints in Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson oblasts, and also take measures to equip them with necessary resources.