During the 20th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova took part in a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Emine Dzhaparova informed about the ongoing gross and systematic violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea.

"Repressive campaigns against Crimean Tatars, their expulsion from the peninsula, deprivation of Ukrainian citizens of the right to own land, the policy of the Russian occupation administration to change the demographic composition of Crimea are a threat to preserving the identity of the Crimean Tatar people", First Deputy Minister noted.

In her speech, she also drew attention to Russia's failure to comply with the order of the UN International Court of Justice of April 19, 2017 to lift the ban on the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

First Deputy Minister called on the international community, including the Expert Mechanism and the Special Rapporteur, to respond appropriately to Russia's violations of indigenous peoples' rights in the occupied Crimea, in particular by joining the Crimea Platform, the inaugural summit of which is scheduled to be held on 23 August.

She also invited the participants of the dialogue to take part in a thematic event on the situation with the protection of the Crimean Tatar people in the occupied Crimea, which will be held on April 26 on the sidelines of the Permanent Forum.

Emine Dzhaparova reiterated the invitation to the Special Rapporteur to visit Ukraine and the openness of the Ukrainian side to cooperate with the Expert Mechanism in order to further protect the rights of indigenous peoples.