A new public holiday will appear in Ukraine. It is the Day of Interethnic Harmony and Cultural Diversity — it will be celebrated annually on May 21.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the relevant decree No. 883.
The new public holiday was created to strengthen the unity and harmony of the Ukrainian people, affirm Ukrainian national and civic identity, and promote the free development of the cultural diversity of the indigenous peoples and national minorities (communities) of Ukraine.
Zelensky noted that this day is also a "tribute to the contribution of all communities of Ukraine to the defense of state sovereignty and independence, in particular, in the war with Russia.
- On December 13, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law "On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine", which is part of the so-called European integration package. The law should improve the implementation of the rights of national minorities and the principles of state policy towards them. In particular, it concerns the rights to self-identification, the use of national minority languages, education, participation in political, economic, social and cultural life, etc. Bringing the law on national minorities into line with European legislation is one of the requirements for the start of negotiations on Ukraineʼs membership in the European Union.
- In September 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading Bill No. 9610 on amendments to the Law "On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine".
- The explanatory note to the draft law states that the goal is to improve the legislative regulation of the rights and freedoms of national minorities, as enshrined in the provisions of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights, the 1995 Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the 1992 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
- The draft law provides for free textbooks for schoolchildren belonging to national minorities, the possibility of using national minority languages in advertising, events, during emergency assistance, criteria for developing a methodology for using national minority languages in settlements, etc.
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