On August 18, our Association expert, Borys Babin, took part in the Forum of National Communities and Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, “Unity in Diversity: European Advancement and Common Victory,” held in Ivano-Frankivsk with the support of the Council of Europe.
The event focused on protecting the rights of individuals belonging to ethnic groups in the context of the opening of the “Fundamentals” European integration Cluster to Ukraine, as well as strengthening cooperation between national community organizations and government agencies and developing common approaches for further reforms.
The Forum was attended by representatives of the State Service on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, the Ombudsman, regional administrations, local self-government, the Council of National Communities of Ukraine, the diplomatic corps, and non-governmental organizations of Belarusians, Bulgarians, Gagauz, Georgians, Germans, Hungarians, Poles, Roma, Romanians, as well as Crimean Karaites and Crimean Tatars.
In his speech, Professor Babin emphasized the importance of implementing Ukrainian legislation on Indigenous Peoples, reminding on the significance of the legalization of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People as the representative body of the Indigenous People for Ukraine’s European integration and the de-occupation of Crimea.
The Association expert also pointed to the prospects for further legalization of the representative bodies of two other Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, the Karaites and Krymchaks, and noted the corresponding potential of the Western regions of our country.
In his discussions with forum participants, special attention was paid to the inadmissibility of politicized speculation regarding unfounded changes to legislation on Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, especially in the context of Russian aggression and provocations by Kremlin intelligence services in Southern Ukraine.
Eskender Bariiev, head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and Mejlis member, also shared with forum participants the developments of the Center for the protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine.
