Inclusion and anti-discrimination

On 19 May 2026, the International Forum ‘Strategic Directions for Textbook Development in the Languages of Indigenous Peoples and National Minorities (Communities)’ took place in Kyiv.  

The forum brought together more than 140 participants, including representatives of government bodies, the academic community, the diplomatic corps and the expert community. The event served as an important platform for professional dialogue on the development of education in the languages of indigenous peoples and national minorities in Ukraine, the preservation of linguistic diversity, and the implementation of modern approaches to the creation of textbooks and teaching materials.

Participants were welcomed by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Maciej Janczak, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, experts and representatives of national communities.

The forum featured presentations on:

• Practices for creating textbooks in the languages of national minorities;
• European experience in safeguarding linguistic diversity;
• Modern approaches to educational content within the framework of the New Ukrainian School;
• Expert discussions on languages at risk of extinction.

Particular attention was given to issues concerning the preservation and development of languages at risk of extinction: Crimean Tatar, Karaim, Gagauz, Urum and Rumei, among others, as well as the role of education in supporting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the indigenous peoples and national minorities of Ukraine.

The relevance of these issues is heightened by the fact that, with the support of the Council of Europe, the State Service of Ethnic Affaires and Freedom of Conscience has already developed a Strategy for the Development of the Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples and National Minorities (Communities), as well as corresponding operational plans for its implementation.

The event was organised with the support of the Council of Europe project “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine-Phase II” in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute for Educational Development.