OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities discusses language law and other national minority issues in Ukraine

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Lamberto Zannier visited Ukraine from 11 to 13 December 2017 to discuss issues related to national minorities and discuss opportunities for the HCNM and the government to work together on promoting diversity in different policy areas.

In Kyiv, Zannier discussed the new law on education and other policy issues of particular relevance for minorities with representatives of the government, the Verkhovna Rada, national minority communities and civil society. In these meetings, the HCNM highlighted the need to depoliticize language issues and to find a balanced approach towards inclusiveness, particularly in the field of education.

While expressing his full support for policies aiming at strengthening the role of the State language for effective integration, Zannier highlighted the importance of an inclusive policy, where the needs of diverse groups are taken into consideration to minimize the risk of minority issues being instrumentalized. To this end, the High Commissioner explored several possible initiatives for practical co-operation, offering his assistance in implementing and developing future policy.