Between 11 and 14 March 2025, Hallvard Gorseth, Head of the Anti-discrimination Department of the Council of Europe, visited Kyiv for a series of meetings on Ukraine’s implementation of anti-discrimination standards related to its European integration.
He met with Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, and Members of Parliament to exchange on legislative initiatives related to addressing hate crime, including on sexual orientation and gender identity grounds. Discussions with Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration Liudmyla Sugak focused on the development of the Action Plan for the Protection of the Rights of National Minorities. This plan, coordinated by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, benefitted from extensive expert support from the Council of Europe, in line with the recommendations from the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention on National Minorities.
Further meetings included Andriy Nadzhos, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications for European Integration, to address the protection of minority languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and with Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, on the implementation of the Action Plan through 2027. The plan encompasses measures on non-discrimination, hate speech prevention, minority language rights, and education. Its effective implementation is a key component of Ukraine’s progress in its EU accession process.
These discussions reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to aligning its legal and institutional framework with European anti-discrimination standards. The Council of Europe will continue to provide expertise and support to Ukrainian authorities in their efforts to uphold the rights of national minorities and vulnerable groups.
Notably, meeting was held with Mykhailo Spasov, Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for International Cooperation and European Integration, as well as with representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office responsible for ensuring equal rights and freedoms for persons belonging to national minorities. The discussion focused on potential areas for continued cooperation in combating discrimination and protecting the rights of national minorities. Specific attention was given to current issues, including the registration of Roma individuals, and to the development of possible joint initiatives and activities, such as expert council meetings.
