On 9 August, the international community marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This day was established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1994 and has become a symbol of the long-standing struggle of indigenous peoples for the recognition of their rights and the preservation of their culture, language, traditions, lands and way of life.

Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, as enshrined, in particular, in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, since 2014, Ukraine has been fighting tirelessly not only for its own survival, but also for the full restoration of the rights and freedoms of indigenous peoples who face discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds at the hands of the Russian occupying authorities, particularly in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

For Ukraine, equality is not merely a formally enshrined norm, but a fundamental principle upon which the development of a modern, democratic and inclusive society is based. It is one of the values that Ukraine is defending today in its struggle against Russia’s ongoing armed aggression.

An integral part of Ukrainian society, our history and cultural diversity are the indigenous peoples of Ukraine – the Crimean Tatars, the Karaites and the Krymchaks. Their distinct identity, languages, traditions and cultural heritage form an important part of Ukraine’s centuries-old heritage.

Today, they are suffering the consequences of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression. The Crimean Tatars are facing widespread repression: arrests, torture, politically motivated sentences, the ban on the Mejlis which remains in force to this day, restrictions on the right to use their native language, and searches of schools, mosques and homes. The Karaites and Krymchaks, distinctive indigenous peoples, are gradually disappearing from the cultural landscape of the occupied peninsula as a result of Russia’s deliberate policy of forced assimilation.

Over the course of more than twelve years of the Russian Federation’s temporary occupation of Crimea, there has been evidence of systematic and targeted persecution by the Russian Federation against the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea, with particular pressure being exerted on the Crimean Tatar people.

Ukraine consistently upholds the rights of indigenous peoples and is working to preserve their cultural identity.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to step up pressure on the occupying state to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, to restore the rights of all indigenous peoples living under occupation, and to bring all those responsible for the crimes committed to justice.

Ukraine reaffirms its unwavering position on the rights of indigenous peoples as the foundation of a just peace and international security, and will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe to protect these rights.