Yuri Shymko - After Politics

After Politics

In 1988, Shymko was appointed by the Government of Canada to serve on the Federal Immigration and Refugee Board (1988–1993). In 1995, he founded a private consulting company, Shymko International Consulting, in Toronto.

Shymko has remained an outspoken human rights activist, representing a number of NGO's before the UN General Assembly, the Council of Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the UN Human Rights Commission. He has been the keynote speaker at a number of international forums on human rights and nationalities policies.

Shymko is the recipient of a number of Canadian and international awards, including the Outstanding Service Award from the Reena Foundation (1985), which serves the needs of the Jewish community's handicapped children. In 1997, Shymko's support for the francophonie was recognized when he was officially inducted as an Officer of the Order of La Pléiade by the International Assembly of French Speaking Parliamentarians (1997). Shymko was inducted into the Ordre de la Pléiade together with Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau and Ontario Court of Appeal Justice, Roy McMurtry.

In 2007, Shymko was appointed for a three year term by the Stephen Harper government to the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. In 2010, his appointment was extended until June 26, 2013.

In 2006, Shymko was given one of Ukraine's highest awards, the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko. Shymko thereby joined a list of eminent international recipients of the award including Javier Solana, Lech Wałęsa, and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Yuri Shymko is married to the former Stephanie Kowal. They have two daughters, Lisa Shymko (MA Political Science, University of Toronto) and Natalie Shymko (MA Fine Art History, University of Toronto).