The Head of the Department of International Connections of the Mission Yevhen Samukha took an active part in the third OSCE Supplementary Human Rights Dimension Meeting (SHDM) III “Promoting human rights, peaceful coexistence and security in the OSCE region through education”, held on 8-9 October 2018 in Vienne (Austria).
Yevhen Samukha in his speech during the first working session “Policy making for mainstreaming human rights education in the OSCE region” and the third working session “Effective enjoyment of the right to education as a tool to foster peace and security” highlighted the establishment of special educational program for the Crimean residents to study in Ukraine, particularly the possibility of distance and extern training at schools in mainland Ukraine, entrance the Ukrainian higher educational establishments under the simplified procedure.
The establishment of special educational centers “Crimea-Ukraine” at 35 higher educational establishments in different regions of the country was noted. A special attention was drawn to the activity of the Mission in the sphere of Crimean residents’ rights to education exercising, particularly to its active part in the informational campaign launching, spreading social messages, assistance to the applicants for entry, came from the temporarily occupied Crimea in the restoration of personal identity documents etc.
The Mission participates actively contributes to skills upgrading for the persons, residing in the peninsula or replaced ones. Particularly the leadership and the officials of the Mission together with the civil society associations held a series of seminars and trainings for advocates, lawyers and activists from Crimea. Particular attention was drawn to the joint expert ODIHR meeting, held on 14 June 2018 in Kherson in order to discuss the situation of Human Rights in Crimea and challenges the defenders face due to their work in the temporarily occupied territory
Among other things, Yevhen Samukha once again pointed out the discrimination of the educational rights on ethnic and political grounds, restriction of the rights to study in native language and violation of the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the RF authorities in Crimea. Above-mentioned violations are confirmed by the reports of UNESCO and the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as by the Order of UN International Court of Justice in case Ukraine vs Russia.
The need to provide the remote monitoring of insurance the right to education in native language in the occupied territories of Ukraine in Crimea and some districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions by OSCE ODIHR, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and SMM OCE was noted. In addition, the continued pressure on the state-aggressor by the States-members of OSCE in order to make Russia to fulfill the requirements of UN International Court of Justice Order, dated on 19 April 2017 on insurance the education in Ukrainian Language in Crimea was stressed.
The representatives of the official delegations of Estonia and Lithuania expressed their support and solidarity with Ukraine, condemned the actions of the occupying authorities of RF in the TOT of Ukraine in Crimea. The representatives of the USA, Canada and EU in OSCE in their statements emphasized the unswerving support of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.