Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine
The project builds on the results of the earlier project “Strengthening the protection of national minorities, including Roma, and minority languages in Ukraine”, notably to bring forward the reforms in the field of national minorities including Roma in the country, in line with Council of Europe standards in this area. It also takes into account current circumstances: the aggression of Russia against Ukraine since February 2022, and Ukraine’s application for membership of the European Union, and the upcoming accession negotiations in the field of fundamental rights.
- Enhance the legal and policy framework to protect minority rights in Ukraine and help to strengthen capacities of relevant institutions at the central and local level, in line with the standards and recommendations set by the Council of Europe – especially those from the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML).
- Contributing in strengthening the cooperation between central and local level institutions, as well as among institutions and the civil society and other partners working on national minorities.
- The first component will ensure that relevant institutions and other stakeholders effectively implement legal and policy reforms on protecting and promoting the rights of national minorities, including Roma, in accordance with the provisions of the FCNM and ECRML.
- The second component will foster co-operation among local authorities and national minorities, including Roma, for a stronger societal cohesion and resilience in time of conflict and post-conflict. Specific attention will be given to internally displaced persons from minority communities from the occupied regions in the East/Southeast of Ukraine.
- The third component will give continuity to the assistance so far provided to the Roma community in Ukraine, notably by enhancing the capacity of central and local level institutions in the field of Roma inclusion policies, as well as Roma participation in political and public life at local level.
- Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
- Ukrainian Parliament Committee on Human Rights
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
- Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine
- Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience
- Ukrainian Local Authorities
- National Minority NGOs
The Council of Europe Office in Ukraine continued consultations with authorities on mechanisms for protecting national minorities in the context of EU accession
The Council of Europe Office in Ukraine continued its series of consultation meetings with regional and local administrations on the implementation of Ukraine’s legal and policy frameworks on national minorities (communities), the Roma national minority and Indigenous Peoples in the context of...
In Ivano-Frankivsk, the role of national communities was discussed in the context of the opening of Cluster 1, ‘Foundations’
On 18 August 2026, the Western Ukrainian Forum of National Communities and Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, entitled ‘Unity in Diversity: European Progress and Shared Victory’, took place in Ivano-Frankivsk. The event was jointly organised by the ‘Council of National Communities of Ukraine’ and the...
Representatives of local initiative groups discussed the implementation of state policy on national minorities and the Roma at local level
On 9 July 2026, the Council of Europe project “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine” held an online seminar for representatives of local action groups on the topic “State policy on national minorities and...
International Roma Coordination Group discusses Roma rights and EU accession priorities
On 21 July 2026, the Council of Europe project “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine” convened an online meeting of the International Roma Coordination Group, bringing together around 50 participants...
Ukrainian police officers strengthen their skills in combating hate crimes against LGBTI persons
On 8–9 July, thirty police officers from Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine participated in a two-day training session aiming at strengthening law enforcement’s responses to hate crimes targeting LGBTI persons. The training drew on the Council of Europe’s manual “Policing Hate Crime against LGBTI...
The Council of Europe remains committed to supporting freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in Ukraine
On 1 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine hosted a meeting of the MFA Council on Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity on the topic: “Freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, combating disinformation: international cooperation and national protection mechanisms”. The...
Local initiative groups discuss the implementation of state policy on national minorities and Roma at the local level
On 9 July 2026, the Council of Europe project “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine” held an online seminar for representatives of local action groups on the topic “State policy on national minorities and...
LGBTI+ Equality March held in Kyiv with support from the Council of Europe in Ukraine
On 21 June, the annual "KyivPride" Equality March took place in the centre of Kyiv under the slogan "Recognise Our Families". The peaceful march brought together around 5,000 participants including members of the diplomatic corps, international institutions, LGBTI+ military people and human...
From accessible content to a barrier-free environment: the Council of Europe supports the development of an inclusion concept for Suspilne
Thirty years after Ukraine joined the Council of Europe, approaches that were once framed primarily as efforts to combat racism and intolerance have evolved into a broader concept of inclusion. Opening the event “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion”, the Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board of...
Expert Dialog on improving data collection to ensure Equality and Non-Discrimination in Ukraine in the context of European Integration
On 4 June, an expert meeting was held to discuss methods of data collection and analysis to ensure equality and non-discrimination in Ukraine. The event brought together the efforts of Council of Europe projects in Ukraine working in the fields of combating discrimination and hate speech, as well...
Duration: 24 months (January 2023 - December 2024)
Beneficiaries :
► Citizens and people living in Ukraine
► Public authorities at central and local level, notably municipalities
► Civil society organisations engaged in promoting and protecting rights of national minorities and Roma
► Vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons
Funding: Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026
Budget: 800,000.00 Euros
Angela Longo, Programme Manager, Strasbourg
Zemfira Kondur, Senior Project Officer, Kyiv
Olha Bespalikova, Project Assistant, Kyiv
