The Mission’s team, led by Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko, participated in the Fourth International Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025), held on 10–11 July in Rome, Italy.
As part of the working visit to Rome, Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko held a series of important meetings with Italian parliamentarians. Advocacy Director of the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, Alyona Lunova, also joined the meetings. Discussions were held with Giuliomaria Terzi Di Sant’Agata, President of the Permanent Senate Commission of EU Affairs, and Filippo Sensi, MP from the Democratic Party. Key topics included the importance of establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, threats posed by Russian disinformation in Europe, support for civil society, and participation in a mentorship programme to protect unlawfully detained persons. Particular attention was given to the issue of repression in occupied Crimea, which demands a strong international response and public condemnation, as well as support for resistance movements in the temporarily occupied territories.
The Permanent Representative also gave interviews to Italian media outlets, including Rai Italian Public Television Network, where she spoke about the current situation in occupied Crimea and stressed the importance of countering Russian propaganda narratives about the peninsula.
A key public event, Ukraine and Italy. Why Does Crimea Unite Us? took place on July 9. It was co-organised by the Mission together with the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU), the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, International Partnership for Human Rights, and the Europa Radicale initiative. The event gathered human rights defenders, experts, and political figures to discuss the daily challenges faced by residents of Crimea under occupation, the systematic destruction of cultural heritage, and the risks of legitimising the occupation through Russian propaganda and disinformation. The evening concluded with a screening of a documentary by Ukraїner on the history of the Crimean Tatar people and the consequences of Russia’s policies aimed at erasing national identity in Crimea.
Throughout the entire Conference, a dedicated Crimea stand operated at the Recovery Forum, highlighting key aspects of reintegration policies and the vision for the comprehensive recovery of the peninsula after de-occupation. In total, the stand was visited by over 100 individuals, including representatives of Ukrainian and international businesses, politicians, media professionals, and civil society leaders.
The primary goal of the stand was to draw international attention to the importance of including the issue of temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine’s overall recovery strategy. The stand showcased the Mission’s key initiatives, particularly within the WE BUILD CRIMEA project, and emphasized the preservation of cultural heritage as a vital element of the region’s sustainable development. Conference participants — including political figures and business representatives from various countries — had the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative artwork by Crimean Tatar artist Rustem Skybin titled “I Am a Tulip,” which has become a symbol of restoring Crimea’s cultural identity. The completed painting was presented by the Mission’s team to Italian partners as a token of gratitude for organizing URC 2025.
We sincerely thank the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and our Italian colleagues for their cooperation and advocacy for Ukrainian Crimea on the international stage.
We sincerely thank the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and our Italian colleagues for their cooperation and advocacy for Ukrainian Crimea on the international stage.
#URC2025