Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has submitted a bill on ratification of protocols Nos. 15 and 16 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

"Protocol No. 15 and optional protocol No. 16 to the Convention were drawn up by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The documents will contribute to the improvement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), reduction of terms for decision making by the court and increase the human rights protection standards at the national level," the press service of the Ukrainian president said on Friday.

Protocol No. 16 will allow the Supreme Court to receive an advisory opinion from ECHR before issuing its ruling regarding the interpretation or application of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Protocols Nos. 15 and 16 to the Convention were signed by Ukraine on June 20, 2014.

Protocol No. 15 shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date on which all High Contracting Parties to the Convention have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol, apart from Artcile 4 that shall enter force following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of entry into force of this Protocol.

Protocol No. 16 shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date on which ten High Contracting Parties to the Convention have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol.

As of September 6, 2017, 45 states signed Protocol No. 15 and 35 ratified it and 18 states signed Protocol 16 and eight ratified it.