On 19th December, a meeting of the Council on Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was held, dedicated to the topic of “Best Global Practices on Accessibility in the Diplomatic Service.”
The event was attended by the Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment Tetiana Lomakina, representatives of central executive authorities, the foreign diplomatic corps, international organizations, and civil society.
The meeting was opened by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa, who emphasized that accessibility is an integral component of a modern diplomatic service and one of the key indicators of a state’s democratic maturity.
“For the MFA, accessibility is not only about infrastructure or technologies. First and foremost, it is about respect for human rights and dignity, about the accessibility of public services, and about the ability of the diplomatic service to meet the needs of all citizens,” Mariana Betsa noted.
Opening remarks were also delivered by the Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment Tetiana Lomakina, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Maciej Janczak, and Head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi. They underscored the importance of universal design, digital accessibility, and adherence to international standards in the work of public institutions.
The Deputy Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine consistently integrates the principles of accessibility and inclusiveness into its institutional policy, consular activities, and international engagement, guided by the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine until 2030.
In this context, it was noted that in recent years the Ministry has implemented a number of practical solutions aimed at enhancing the physical, digital, and informational accessibility of diplomatic and consular services, in particular through the digitalization of services, the introduction of remote formats for interaction with citizens, the establishment of unified accessibility standards for the premises of foreign diplomatic missions, and the adaptation of information resources.
During the plenary discussion and expert panels, speeches were delivered by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, the Council of Europe Office, UNESCO, UNDP, and the embassies of the United Kingdom, Canada, and France in Ukraine. Participants discussed institutional approaches to implementing accessibility in the diplomatic service, modern international accessibility standards, the development of inclusive consular services, as well as practical solutions in the field of architectural and digital accessibility of embassies.
Following the meeting, participants reaffirmed their readiness to continue active cooperation aimed at further developing barrier-free standards within the Ukrainian diplomatic service as an integral part of the modernization of the foreign policy institution.