On 2 December, the First Congress of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine was held in Kyiv. It resulted in a joint resolution of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine – Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks – covering key demands at both the national and international levels.
Full text of the resolution
We, the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine – the CrimeanTatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks – having gathered atthe First Congress of the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, recognizing our inextricable connection with the land, territories, waters, and natural resources of ourancestors;
affirming our commitment to our cultures, traditions, languages, spiritual and historical heritage, whose rootsextend deep into the centuries;
emphasizing that the Crimean Tatars, Karaites, andKrymchaks are an integral part of the Ukrainian politicalnation, with their own history, culture, language, andtraditions;
underscoring that we see our future within a sovereign, independent, and democratic Ukraine;
making every effort to protect the sovereignty andterritorial integrity of the Ukrainian State within itsinternationally recognized borders;
noting that as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war andthe occupation of Crimea and other territories ofUkraine, the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine aresubjected to systematic repression, persecution, andrestrictions in the exercise of their rights, includingdeprivation of access to their traditional lands, territories, resources, and institutional representation;
acknowledging that the proper establishment of thelegal status of representative bodies of IndigenousPeoples, as well as guarantees of their participation indecision-making processes at the national andinternational levels, remain urgent and unresolved tasks;
stressing the need to strengthen guarantees for theprotection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the faceof challenges and threats caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war and the occupation of Crimea and othertemporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;
emphasizing the necessity of respect for the right toself-determination; for the preservation, revitalization, and development of cultural, linguistic, and religiousidentity; and for the traditional ownership, use, andgovernance of lands and resources of IndigenousPeoples;
demanding the effective participation of IndigenousPeoples in decision-making processes affecting theirrights, interests, and future, with strict adherence to theprinciple of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC);
guided by the principles of international law, inparticular the United Nations Declaration on the Rightsof Indigenous Peoples, international human rightsinstruments, as well as the Constitution of Ukraine, theLaw of Ukraine «On the Indigenous Peoples ofUkraine», and other normative legal acts;
HEREBY PROCLAIM this Resolution as anexpression of the common will of the participants ofthe First Congress of the Indigenous Peoples ofUkraine and call upon:
At the national level:
1. To implement the Law of Ukraine «On theIndigenous Peoples of Ukraine» at all levels ofpublic administration;
2. To establish the legal status of the representativebody of the Crimean Tatar people – the Mejlis of theCrimean Tatar People – and of the representativebodies of the Karait and Krymchak peoples, and toensure their functioning in accordance with thelegislation of Ukraine
3. To ensure the participation of Indigenous Peoples indefining priorities and developing sustainabledevelopment strategies, as well as in the preparationand implementation of state and regional programsand strategic documents, on the basis of Free, Priorand Informed Consent (FPIC) with regard to issuesaffecting their rights and legitimate interests;
4. To develop and implement a national strategy forthe sustainable development of the IndigenousPeoples of Ukraine, covering education, language, culture, healthcare, the economy, and theenvironment;
5. To ensure the participation of Indigenous Peoples, through their representative bodies, in peacebuildingprocesses, including any peace negotiations, incompliance with the principles of UN SecurityCouncil Resolution 1325 «Women, Peace andSecurity»;
6.To promote expanded participation of IndigenousPeoples in international processes, including thework of the UN Human Rights Council;
7. To ensure the development and adoption oflegislative acts aimed at establishing a mechanismfor the repatriation of the Indigenous Peoples ofUkraine and their direct descendants who wereforced to leave the territory that became the territoryof Ukraine pursuant to the Law of Ukraine «On theLegal Succession of Ukraine», as a result of politicalpersecution, deportations, or displacement from theirplaces of traditional residence.
At the international level:
1. To provide comprehensive support to Ukraine inensuring the rights of the Indigenous Peoples ofUkraine in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian warand to monitor their implementation;
2. To develop an Action Plan to improve the situationof Indigenous Peoples in the OSCE region;
3. To develop a UN humanitarian response planconcerning the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine;
4. To create and implement, jointly with theIndigenous Peoples of Ukraine, internationalprograms of humanitarian, cultural, and economicsupport for the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine.
The participants of the First Congress of theIndigenous Peoples of Ukraine reaffirm the readinessof the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine forconstructive, sustainable, and meaningfulengagement with the President of Ukraine, theVerkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the Cabinet ofMinisters of Ukraine.
The Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine will continue toremain an active and responsible force of Ukrainiancivil society, directing their efforts toward achievingVictory over the russian aggressor, strengthening, developing, and ensuring the prosperity of theUkrainian State, and securing a dignified life for allits citizens.