In the framework of permanent cooperation with UN bodies and agencies, our Association informed UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Professor Alexandra Xanthaki for her upcoming report to the UN Human Rights Council on the intersections between nature conservation and cultural rights.
ARC’s submission on that issue, published at the official UN web-sources now, reminded on the aspects of the Russian aggression against Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, including activities of Russia-financed and Russia-controlled activities of terroristic groups in the occupied territories.
Also, ARC’s submission described Ukraine’s activities to defend the rights of indigenous peoples of Ukraine, including Crimean Tatar culture, economies, and rights to lands and to traditional environments.
ARC’s submission stressed that new challenges for the issue of Crimean Tatars’ cultural and environmental rights, as well as the land challenges in the environmental and water supply framework, were caused by the destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Dnipro River by Russian military units in 2023.
ARC’s submission added that broad challenges in area of Crimean Tatar traditional economies, including usage of environmental areas for the fishery and recreation sector, also appeared after the catastrophe that occurred on December 15, 2024 in the waters of the Black Sea south of the Kerch Strait with the Russian tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239,” which were transporting more than 8 thousand tons of fuel oil.
ARC’s submission reminded on strong negative economic, ecologic, and development consequences as a result of those catastrophes, so for climate change and desertification of the Crimea, where Russian illegal “governments” and “media” disseminate fakes and hide the real situation.
ARC’s submission also stressed the next challenges for indigenous rights to land that appeared in the occupied Crimea in 2025, when illegal “republican authorities” started a campaign of “confiscation” of agricultural land plots, gardens, and vineyards. ARC cooperation with UN entities that research relevant human rights violations will be continued.
