Gathering 150 participants from state institutions, European and international organisations, academia and NGOs, the Forum aimed to discuss the current state of play in ensuring rights and freedoms of national minorities in Ukraine, from the perspective of Council of Europe standards. The Forum brought together representatives to exchange on ongoing challenges and possible solutions to ensure full implementation of legislative reforms of the national minority framework, in the context of EU and Council of Europe standards.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal addressed the participants with opening speeches. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, stated that "At the front and in the rear, people of all nationalities are working for victory. They are united, they believe in Ukraine, and they know that Ukraine is a country of opportunities for national and cultural development. From the outset of Ukraine's independence, the country has striven to serve the interests of all ethnic communities residing within its borders. Following our designation as a candidate for EU membership, this work intensified and reached a new level."
The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, stated that the government is working to create an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and important. She also noted that negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union are scheduled to commence in a few weeks, as Ukraine has already fulfilled all the necessary conditions. This is evidenced by the European Commission's report, which gave Ukraine a positive assessment, particularly in the field of implementing the rights of national minorities. "We would like to express our gratitude to our international partners for their support and recognition of our efforts."
The Head of Anti-Discrimination Department of the Council of Europe Hallvard Gorseth mentioned that Ukraine ratified the two main treaties of the Council of Europe for the protection of minority rights and minority languages: the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) in 1998 and the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). He underlined the importance of following the Council of Europe standards by Ukraine and the steps already taken to protect the rights of national minorities (communities.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, highlighted the significance of Ukraine's efforts to safeguard the rights of its national minorities (communities) as a crucial step towards its European integration. "The situation of national minorities is a test of the strength of society and the state. This is one of the key criteria for which we will be carrying out constant monitoring throughout the country's accession to the EU," said Katarina Mathernova.
The participants of the conference prepared a draft of the Outcome Conference Document. The recommendations in the Outcome document are based on the needs of the national minorities and the discussions held at the Forum. They reflect the contributions made by the participants during the sessions. The recommendations aim to provide guidance for the further implementation of the Law of Ukraine on National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine, the State Targeted National and Cultural Program “Unity in Diversity” till the period of 2034 as well as other relevant documents and policies.
The event was supported by the joint European Union and Council of Europe project "Supporting the Implementation of European Standards on Combating Discrimination and the Rights of National Minorities in Ukraine" and was co-organized by the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the Commissioner on Human Rights of the Parliament of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.
