28.07.2026
On July 23–24, 2026, a two-day training session titled “Strengthening the Rights and Engagement of National Minorities (Communities) and Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine” was held in Kyiv, organized by the OSCE in cooperation with the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESC).
More than 20 representatives of national minorities (communities) and indigenous peoples of Ukraine from various regions of the country participated in the training, including Murad Omarov, Vice Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work at NURE and Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Society for Azerbaijani-Ukrainian Friendship “Dostlug.” Over the course of two days, they discussed pressing issues related to ensuring the rights of national minorities and solutions for further improving state ethnic policy together with representatives of government agencies, international experts, and specialists.
The event was opened by Viktor Yelensky, Chair of the DESC, and Czesław Walek, Senior Political Advisor to the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Participants included Ihor Lossovsky, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience; Dmytro Chupryna, a state expert with the Expert Group on School Education at the Directorate of School Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; and other specialists in the area of ethnic policy and interethnic relations.
The training covered international standards for the protection of the rights of national minorities, current challenges arising in wartime, issues of education in multilingual environments, mechanisms to combat discrimination, and the development of effective cooperation between communities, state authorities, and local self-government bodies.
Separate sessions were devoted to opportunities for state and grant support for civic initiatives, funding for projects in the field of protecting the rights of national minorities and indigenous peoples, preserving cultural heritage, and engaging youth in joint cultural and educational projects.
