work, to enroll in a school or an institution of higher throughout 2004 with the officials of the Ukrainian In- learning, or even the right to get married. Such restric- terior Ministry responsible for registration of place of tions clearly violate a host of domestic – in the coun- residence on issues related to the practical implemen- tries where the propiska system is still used – and inter- tation to the new law. national laws. It contravenes the fundamental rights to freedom of movement and choice of place of resi- In Belarus, the ODIHR has been working the past two dence, which are enshrined as OSCE commitments. years with the Interior Ministry and the National LawDrafting Centre under the President (NLDC) to develop While, in most countries, the emergence of a market the legal and conceptual bases for the establishment of economy and private sector has rendered obsolete rig- a centralized population register and to move towards orous planning of the labour market – a putative rea- a population-registration system that does not prevent son for the propiska system – laws regarding violations people from moving freely within their own country. In of the propiska system remain in effect in numerous 2004, the ODIHR continued introducing officials in- countries of the former Soviet Union. The use of this volved in the reform process to the experiences of system has also been perpetuated by the absence of an other countries of the region – Moldova, Armenia, and alternative system of civil registration that could be Lithuania – through training visits and focused work- used for public-policy purposes, e.g., social insurance, shops. Once the NLDC drafted a law on population reg- providing education or other services, or compiling vot- istration, the ODIHR organized a seminar for represen- ers’ lists. tatives of relevant government agencies to discuss the draft law and to summarize the results of the second year of the project. In 2004, the ODIHR continued its work on overcoming the legacy of restrictions on internal movements in Ukraine and Belarus. Combating discrimination against the most-vulneraIn Ukraine, the ODIHR has been involved in the reform ble groups of migrants process since 2000, organizing technical workshops and training visits for government officials to countries The Migration Unit’s work on developing legislation on where reform efforts had already progressed much fur- migration and civil registration also contributes to the ther. At the end of 2003, the Ukrainian parliament ODIHR's work on non-discrimination, particularly as passed a law on freedom of movement and free choice this relates to IDPs. Because of internal restrictions on of place of residence, which calls for replacing the freedom of movement in a number of countries, indi- propiska system with a system of individual registration viduals who move without state permission are denied that would guarantee Ukrainian citizens and foreign- a number of fundamental rights, including the right to ers with legal status in Ukraine freedom of movement vote, as well as a range of social and economic rights. and free choice of place of residence. Despite some Particularly hard hit by these restrictions are those who gaps and drawbacks identified (for example, the law moved involuntarily, i.e., IDPs, who, unlike refugees requires citizens to certify their deregistration in one who cross internationally recognized borders, are not place before registering in another place), the law es- granted international protection. In addition to physi- tablishes the conditions necessary for the creation of a cal insecurity, IDPs suffer a range of other hardships, new registration system. The successful implementa- such as separation from family members, limited em- tion of the law will depend, however, on enforcement ployment opportunities, disruption of education and procedures, by-laws, and the goodwill of all participat- schooling, and the severance of cultural and social ties. ing institutions and individuals. The ODIHR worked While recent years have witnessed a decrease in the 42