On March 26–27, 2026, a meeting-seminar was held in Kyiv with representatives of local state administrations on current issues of state policy regarding national minorities (communities) and the protection of Ukraine’s indigenous peoples, titled “Protection of Human Rights in the Activities of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience: Strategy and Practice.” Representatives of the Donetsk Regional State Administration participated in the event.
The event was organized by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, with the participation of the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and with the support of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
The purpose of the seminar was to discuss current issues regarding the implementation of state policy in the field of interethnic relations, the protection of the rights of national minorities (communities) and indigenous peoples of Ukraine, as well as the improvement of mechanisms for interaction between central and regional executive authorities.
The event featured five thematic panels, during which the following topics were addressed:
- the status of state policy implementation in the field of interethnic relations at the national and regional levels;
- issues of coordination among government bodies, monitoring, data collection, and analysis;
- current aspects of ensuring freedom of conscience and harmonizing state-church relations;
- mechanisms for ensuring the rights of persons belonging to the Roma national minority;
- administrative and legal procedures governing the activities of religious organizations.
During group work, participants discussed problematic issues regarding the implementation of strategic documents in the regions and identified the main obstacles in the implementation of state policy regarding national minorities (communities).
Particular attention was paid to the implementation of effective coordination mechanisms between the central and regional levels, as well as to improving the system for monitoring compliance with the rights of national minorities.
Based on the results of the meeting-seminar, the need to strengthen interagency cooperation, adopt a systematic approach to the implementation of state policy in this area, and further incorporate international standards in the field of human rights protection was emphasized.