From 4 to 7 September 1998, the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI), located in Flensburg, Germany, organised an international conference entitled "Inter-Ethnic Relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine" in Uzhhorod and outside Mukachevo, Ukraine. The conference was prepared in cooperation with the Association for Culture and Education Promotion (LIK) in Uzhhorod.

There were 53 participants from international organisations, international and local experts on nationality issues in Transcarpathia, as well as representatives from more than 20 registered minority and cultural organisations from the region. The conference languages were Ukrainian, Russian and English.

The aim of the conference was: (1) to familiarise local minority and cultural organisations with recent developments in international and Ukrainian minority legislation and to discuss the implications for ethnic groups and minorities in Transcarpathian Ukraine; (2) to examine the effect of contemporary social and economic issues on local ethnic and minority groups; and (3) to agree on general principles governing inter-ethnic relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine.

Below is an English translation of the ECMI Recommendations based on the results of this conference which were agreed upon in Russian and at the close of the conference and presented at a press conference in Uzhhorod on Monday, September 7, 1998.

PREAMBLE

ECMI is an independent institution, founded by the governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German Land Schleswig-Holstein.

In May 1997 ECMI and the Baltic Academy in Lübeck-Travemunde, Germany, organised an international conference “Minorities in the Ukraine” in which representatives of the government of Ukraine and minority organisations from Transcarpathia (Zakarpatska oblast’) took part.

The next step was the international conference “Inter-Ethnic Relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine” organised from 4 to 7 September 1998 by ECMI in cooperation with the Association for Culture and Education Promotion LIK in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. There were 53 participants in the conference: representatives of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, of the government of Ukraine and the regional administration of Transcarpathia, Ukrainian experts on nationality issues, as well as representatives of local minority and cultural organisations (see attached List of Participants).

The working languages of the conference were Ukrainian, Russian and English.

The aims of the conference were as follows: 1) to familiarise local minority and cultural organisations with recent developments in international and Ukrainian minority legislation and to discuss the implications for ethnic groups and minorities in Transcarpathian Ukraine; 2) to examine the effect of contemporary social and economic issues on local ethnic and minority groups; 3) to agree on general principles governing inter-ethnic relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine. In the first session of the conference, international experts gave an overview of international standards on the rights of national minorities, with a special focus on the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (which entered into force in Ukraine on 1 May 1998), as well as the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages. Also, an overview of the activities of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities was given, and a representative of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) spoke about the work of this new organisation founded in 1991.

The representatives of the Government and the President of Ukraine as well as the local governmental organs of Transcarpathia along with the representatives of local minority and cultural organisations analysed Ukrainian minority policy and expressed their opinions about serious problems they face in their daily activities.

With appreciation for the key role that Transcarpathia plays in the stability and security of East Central Europe, and based on the discussions during the conference, ECMI proposes the following:

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Welcoming the participation of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and international and national non-governmental organisations in the work of the conference, ECMI considers their further involvement in the resolution of inter-ethnic issues in Transcarpathia as important and necessary.

2. The ratification by Ukraine of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities must be followed by a prompt, effective and thorough implementation of this instrument. A broad range of Ukrainian minority and other non-governmental organisations should be involved in the preparation of the initial state report (due 1 May 1999) by the appropriate government structures.

3. Ukraine must ratify the Council of Europe European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages without delay.

4. The minorities policy of Ukraine should be conducted in accordance with the following international documents: the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities (1992), the Copenhagen Document of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1990), Recommendation 1201 (1993) and Recommendation 1353 (1998) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities of the Foundation on Inter-Ethnic Relations (FIER) (1996), and the Oslo Recommendations Regarding the Linguistic Rights of National Minorities (FIER) (1998).

5. Measures to encourage transfrontier and sub-regional cooperation should be taken. In this context, full implementation of existing bilateral treaties between Ukraine and neighbouring countries is recommended.

6. Particular attention should be paid so that modifications in Ukrainian legislation do not lower the current level of minority standards in various areas, such as education.

7. In order to achieve transparency in the forthcoming population census in Ukraine, the monitoring of the census-taking and compilation of results should be conducted with the assistance of local, national and international non-governmental organisations.

8. Keeping in mind that, according to international law, “the existence of minorities is a question of fact, not of law,” the right to freedom of association must be guaranteed to all persons belonging to national minorities. In this context, ECMI welcomes the establishment of direct contact between representatives of the higher echelons of the Ukrainian government and the Transcarpathian Rusyns within the framework of the this conference.

9. Taking into account the difficult situation in which the Roma of Transcarpathia find themselves, special assistance measures should be devised in order to raise their level of education and to improve their economic position and state of health.

10. Special attention should be devoted to the preservation of natural resources and means of livelihood which form the basis for the traditional way of life of minorities in Transcarpathia.

11. A permanent forum (round-table) should be created at the regional administration of Transcarpathia with the participation of representatives of minorities living in Transcarpathia for the development of a dialogue between minorities and government structures.

12. ECMI recommends a close examination of the detailed proposals signed by 12 representatives of Transcarpathian nationalities and attached to this concluding document of the conference, as well as of other proposals made during the conference in the course of dialogue between the government of Ukraine and minority organisations.

13. In dealing with inter-ethnic relations in Transcarpathia the parties should take into account the rich international experience in this field. ECMI is prepared to provide information and to communicate practical experiences and existing models of ethnic accommodation from decentralisation to various forms of autonomy.

In conclusion, ECMI emphasises that, alongside the complex problems of inter-ethnic relations, Transcarpathia has also accumulated a valuable, centuries-long experience in the peaceful coexistence of various national groups. This experience deserves special attention given the difficulties in ensuring ethnic harmony in certain regions of Europe. ECMI will prepare a report on the conference “Inter-Ethnic Relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine” which will be published and distributed internationally. Together with the OSCE and the Danish Democracy Foundation ECMI is planning follow-up measures on inter-ethnic relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine.

Uzhhorod, Ukraine, 7 September 1998

The Organisers of the Conference:

Stefan Troebst Priit Järve ECMI Director ECMI Senior Analyst

Kinga Gál Farimah Daftary ECMI Research Associate ECMI Research Associate

Tom Trier ECMI Regional Representative for Ukraine

With the participation of:

Stefan Vassilev Advisor to the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Antti Korkeakivi Directorate of Human Rights, Minorities Unit, Council of Europe

Gizo Grdzelidze Member of the OSCE Mission to Ukraine

Randolf Oberschmidt Member of the OSCE Mission to Moldova APPENDIX

List of Participants “Inter-Ethnic Relations in Transcarpathian Ukraine” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine, 4-7 September 1998)

ADAM, Aladar Chairman, The Cultural-Educational Organisation of Gypsies “Romani Yag” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

ADAM, Jozif Chairman, The Gipsy Society of Transcarpathia “Roma” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

ALMASHYJ, Michajlo Chairman, The Duchnovych Society (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

BORISOV, Nikolay Head of the Board, Ukrainian Mediation Group (Donetsk, Ukraine)

BUKSAR, Olga Chairperson, Jan Kamensky Society of Czech Culture in Uzhhorod (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

CHUCHKA, Pavlo Chairman of the Taras Shevchenko Language Society; Head of the Slovak Language Department, Uzhhorod State University, (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

DAFTARY, Farimah Research Associate, European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) (Flensburg, Germany)

DUPKA, Gyorgy Chairman of the Society of Hungarian Intelligentsia in Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

GÁL, Kinga Research Associate, European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) (Flensburg, Germany)

GALAS, Boris Chairman of the Congress of Ukrainian Intelligentsia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

GRDZELIDZE, Gizo Member of the OSCE Mission to Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

HAINISH, Josef Chairman of the Regional Cultural-Educational Organisation of Slovaks in Transcarpathia “Matica Slovenska” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

HORVAT, Josip Chairman of the Society of Slovaks in Transcarpathia “L. Shtura” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

HORVAT, Sandor Chairman of the Forum of Hungarian Organisations (Berehovo, Ukraine) HUDANICH, V. Chairman of the Ukrainian People’s Council of Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

ILKO, Igor Country Director, Fund for the Development of the Carpathian Euroregion, FDCE-Ukraine (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

IVANCHO, Ivan Chairman of the Transcarpathian Regional Council of Peoples’ Deputies (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

JÄRVE, Priit Senior Analyst, European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) (Flensburg, Germany)

KORKEAKIVI, Antti Directorate of Human Rights, Minorities Unit, Council of Europe (Strasbourg, France)

KRIVOSHAPKO, The Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia Volodymyr (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

KRYVSKIJ, Ivan Chairman of the Association of Indigenous People of Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

KRIVTSOV, Aleksander Chairman of the Russian Congregation of Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

LATKO, Ivan Chairman of the Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Society for the Preservation of History and Culture (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

LUTSKER, Lev Chairman of the Transcarpathian Jewish Cultural Society (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

LYZANETS’, Péter Chairman of the Hungarian Scientific Society of Transcarpathia; Director of the Center for Hungariology, Uzhhorod State University (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

MAGOCSI, Paul Robert Professor; Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada)

MAKARA, Mykola Director of the Institute for Carpathian Studies, Uzhhorod State University; Chairman of the Scientific-Educational Society of Rusyns (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

MÄLL, Linnart Head of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) Coordination Office for the CIS (Tartu, Estonia) MARINA, Vasyl’ Researcher, Department for Romanian Language and Literature, Uzhhorod State University (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

MITRYAYEVA, Svetlana Chairperson of the Organisation of Russian Culture (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

MITSIK, Vsevolod Ukrainian Member of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; Associate Professor, Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

MYHOVYCH, Ivan Professor, Head of the Social Work Department, Uzhhorod State University (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

NAVROTS’KA, Elena Expert on the Roma (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

NIKOHOSYAN, Sergei Chairman of the Society of Armenian Culture of Transcarpathia “Ararat” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

OBERSCHMIDT, Member of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Randolf (Chisinau, Moldova)

PAP, Aladar Chairman of the Cultural Society of Gypsies of Transcarpathia “Rom Som” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

PAP, Omelyan Chairman of the Transcarpathian Regional Society “Amaro Drom” (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

PELIN, Aleksander Sociologist, LIK (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

PETRISHCHE, Petro Head of the Department for National and Language Policy Issues, Transcarpathian Regional State Administration (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

POPIK, Sergei Head of the Department for National, Confessional and Migrational Issues, Chernivtsy Regional Administration (Chernivtsy, Ukraine)

RUSYN, Kerel Chairman of the Society of Sub-Carpathian Rusyns (Mukachevo, Ukraine)

SHENTSEVA, Lena Director, Association for Culture and Education Promotion LIK (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

SHKLYAR, Leonid Chief Adviser, Administration of the President of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

SIMIONKA, J. The Socio-Cultural Society of Romanians of Transcarpathia “D. Koshbuka” (Solotvino, Ukraine)

SYDOR, Dymytri Chairman of the Cyril and Methodius Society of Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

TARCHINETS’, Ol’ga Association for Culture and Education Promotion LIK (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

TOTH, Mikhailo Chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Ukraine (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

TRIER, Tom ECMI Regional Representative for Ukraine (Copenhagen, Denmark)

TROEBST, Stefan Director, European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) (Flensburg, Germany)

TROSHCHYNSKIY, First Deputy Head, State Committee of Ukraine for Volodymyr Nationalities and Migration (Kyiv, Ukraine)

TURYANITSA, Ivan Chairman of the Society of Carpatho-Rusyns (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

VAKAROVA, Galina Chairperson of the Society of Polish Culture of Transcarpathia (Uzhhorod, Ukraine)

VASSILEV, Stefan Adviser to the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (The Hague, Netherlands)

European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Schiffbruecke 12 D-24939 Flensburg, Germany Tel: (49-461) 14 14 9 0 Fax: (49-461) 14 14 9 19 E-mail: info@ecmi.de Fejl! Bogmærke er ikke defineret Unofficial translation of the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)

To: the working body of the pan-European Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the European Centre for Minority Issues, the Federalist Union of European Nationalities

APPEAL of the Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia

The Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia, which unites the national-cultural organisations and associations of our region, asks you, honourable and authoritative European organisations, to turn your attention to and inform the European community about the outrageous facts of the violation of the provisions of the General Declaration of Human Rights, in Ukraine in general, and in particular in the historical Subcarpathian Rus’ (at present Transcarpathian region of Ukraine). In this context, we urge you: - to guarantee and defend the rights of the ethnic group of Subcarpathian Rus’ which have been continuously restricted by the official authorities; - to guarantee and assist in the reestablishment of the Rusyn ethnic group, neither recognised by the Soviet Union during the post-war period nor at present by Ukraine; - to guarantee and assist in the re-establishment of the historical state system of Subcarpathian Rus’ in the form of an autonomous Transcarpathia (i.e., a special self-governed territory) as a part of Ukraine, for which 78% of the adult population of our region voted during the Referendum of 1 December 1991; - to guarantee and assist in the realisation of the will of the Hungarian population of the Beregovsky district of Subcarpathian Rus’, 91% of whom voted for the creation of a Hungarian ethnic district on the territory of the region during the above-mentioned Referendum of 1 December 1991; - to contribute to the granting of the status of repressed people to all persons of Subcarpathian Rus’ who suffered before and during World War II and are still alive at present, irrespective of their ethnic origin, given that there were concentration camps for the local population in 1938-39 (at Rakhov-Dumen) and in 1944-45 (at Svalyava); - to call upon Ukraine to pay the corresponding compensation to all natives of the region who were repressed before and after World War II, or to the members of their families, irrespective of their ethnic origin;

In light of the aforesaid, we request you to use all your international authority to send a permanent representative of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe to Subcarpathian Rus’ who would monitor the observance of human rights (in general as well as minority rights) in our region, as well as the fulfilment of the provisions and demands of those international legal documents which have been ratified by Ukraine;

- to provide the possibility of financial aid for the normal functioning of the Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia, including the rent or purchase of premises for a technical support office with equipment for accounting, planning and analysis of operations, and for a minimum number of employees at the secretariat of the League necessary for basic daily activities.

At the commissions of the boards of the municipal societies of Subcarpathian Rusyns of the cities of Uzhhorod and Mukachevo and the district associations of Subcarpathian Rusyns of Perechynsky, Svalyavsky, Khustsky, Tyachevsky, Vinogradovsky and Irshavsky districts—

Chairman of the Board of the Regional Society of Carpatho-Rusyns

Professor Ivan Turyanitsa.

Chairman of the Cyril and Methodius Society of Transcarpathia

Father Dimitrij Sydor

Chairman of the Scientific-Educational Society of Rusyns

Dr. Nikolaj Makara Chairman of the Transcarpathian Duchnovych Society

Michail Almashyj

Chairman of the municipal Duchnovych Society of Uzhhorod

Lyudvig Philip

Adopted at the general meeting of Rusyn organisations of the historical Subcarpathian Rus’ on 8 August 1998

Chairman of the Society of Hungarian Intelligentsia in Transcarpathia Yuri Dupko

Chairman of the Society of Hungarians of Uzhhorod Zoltan Krajnyak

Chairman of the Cultural-Educational Organisation of Gypsies “Romani Yag”

Aladar Adam

Chairman of the Society of Slovaks in Transcarpathia “L. Shtura” Josip Horvat

Chairman of the Transcarpathian Jewish Cultural Society Lev Lutsker

Adopted at the meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia on 8 August 1998

Chairman of the German Cultural Society “Revival” in Transcarpathia

Zoltan Kizman

Chairman of the Society of Slovaks in Uzhhorod Ivan Latko

Adopted at the meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Democratic League of Nationalities of Transcarpathia on 8 August 1998.

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