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 Suspilne, Oleksandr Pavlichenko, noted that this approach is now implemented through a systemic policy of accessibility that covers institutional, content and digital levels. According to him, this is not only about accessible content, but also about creating equal and comfortable working conditions, overcoming language barriers, representing veteran communities, national minorities and indigenous people, as well as promoting gender and age equality. Practices that were considered innovative until recently – such as sign language interpretation of songs during Eurovision 2025 – are now becoming a standard feature of inclusive broadcasting, alongside the development of digital accessibility and infrastructure adaptation.

The inclusive approach concept for Ukrainian public service broadcaster Suspilne is intended to foster a media environment in which diverse voices, experiences and communities are visible, represented and have equal access to information. Its core principles and vision were presented during the event “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion: Standards in Media”, held in Kyiv, on 16 June.

The concept was developed with the support of the Council of Europe within three projects: “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine”, “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine”, and “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Ukraine” (SFEM-UA), implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023–2026.

The Council of Europe has long supported Ukraine in promoting freedom of expression, media pluralism and human rights. Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)11 on principles of media and communication governance underlines the importance of inclusiveness, openness and respect for human rights. Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)2 on media pluralism and diversity of media content stresses the importance of media reflecting societal diversity, while Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)3 on the remit of public service media highlights their responsibility to foster social cohesion, intercultural dialogue and the inclusion of all groups in public life.

Experts contributed to the development of the individual thematic areas, enabling a broad range of issues to be taken into account – from gender equality, accessibility and digital inclusion to the representation of veterans, national communities and Indigenous Peoples. The concept is also grounded in European public service media experience and contemporary human rights standards.

For this reason, the document defines inclusion not as a separate thematic area, but as a cross-cutting principle of Suspilne’s work – from internal policies and HR practices to content production and ensuring audience access to information.

The event highlighted that diversity, equality and inclusion are essential prerequisites for democratic resilience and social cohesion. Public service media not only inform citizens but also create a space where different perspectives, life experiences and social groups are represented.

Participants also discussed practical solutions that help make media more accessible for all. These include sign language interpretation, subtitles, audio description, alternative text for images and other assistive technologies. Such tools are increasingly becoming an integral part of modern media standards and help ensure that barriers to accessing information do not hinder full participation in public life.

Council of Europe projects “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine”, “Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine” and “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Ukraine – Phase II” (SFEM-UA – Phase II) is implemented by the Council of Europe in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.