Ukraine: Ethno-national Policy Council

A hearing of the Council on Ethno-national Policy under the President of Ukraine took place in Kyiv on April 4, 2007. The meeting was chaired by People’s Deputy of Ukraine Hennadiy Udovenko. The sitting also saw participation of President’s Secretariat Main Service for Humanitarian Policy and Preservation of National and Cultural Heritage Oleksandr Bystrushkin, State People’s Deputies, heads of national minorities NGOs, scientists and experts.

The meeting’s participants discussed issues related to proposal elaboration on development support and efficient implementation of state ethno-national policy aimed at keeping civil concord in society and harmonization of interethnic relations.

All-Ukrainian Union of NGOs “Congress of Roma of Ukraine” head and Council’s member Petro Grygorichenko proposed the following measures to be further implemented:

– Development of Comprehensive Nationwide Strategy on Roma Support in Ukraine 2008-2012.

– Ukraine’s accession to the “Decade of Roma Inclusion”.

– Romani language inclusion to the list of languages protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

– Implementation of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Decree “On celebration of the International Day of Roma Holocaust”, and in particular, paragraph 3 on making proposals as regards to inclusion of Roma Holocaust victims and members of their families to the list of persons suffered from the World War II, and on the grounds of this, to ensure their right for indemnities.