On November 20, our Association’s expert Borys Babin took an active part in the expert roundtable “National minorities of Ukraine in times of war: risks, challenges and solutions for their protection,” organized in Odesa by the UNHCR Office in Ukraine. Representatives of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police, and regional authorities, ethnic communities, and lawyers of the public organization “The Tenth of April” actively participated in the event.
Current challenges for ethnic groups, in particular for the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, as well as relevant prospects for cooperation with Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, including in the format of social, cultural and human rights activities, were also discussed with the participants of the event by our Association’s expert Eduard Pleshko, Crimean Tatar activist Servinaz Dzheppar, and specialist of the Southern Interregional Department of the Ministry of Justice Kateryna Karpova.
In his speech, Professor Babin focused on the importance of Ukraine’s implementation of UN standards in the field of collective rights and combating racial discrimination for the protection of ethnic communities, citing as examples the activities of our Association for the protection of the Crimean Tatar People in occupied Crimea and other occupied territories.
The importance of interaction with the ECHR, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, working groups and UN special rapporteurs was emphasized.
Professor Babin also paid special attention to the need for high-quality implementation of the requirements of the law “On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine” in accordance with international standards and to the challenges that may arise from expanding the list of ethnic groups provided for by this law in the context of martial law, in particular taking into account the multiethnic nature of the Odesa Region.
