Rada recognizes Crimean Tatars, Karaites, Krymchaks as indigenous peoples of Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a law on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine.
The adoption of relevant bill No. 5506 was supported at the first reading by 331 MPs, and the adoption at a final stage was supported by 325 MPs at an extraordinary plenary session of the parliament on Thursday.
The bill defines the concept of "indigenous people" and legally stipulates that such in Ukraine are Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks.
According to the bill, an "indigenous people" is an autochthonous ethnic community that has formed on the territory of Ukraine, is a bearer of a distinctive language and culture, has traditional social, cultural or representative bodies, self-awareness as an indigenous people, constitutes an ethnic minority within the population and does not have its own state formation outside the state.
The bill also defines guarantees of legal protection against any actions aimed at depriving the signs of ethnicity and integrity as distinct peoples, depriving them of cultural values; eviction or forced relocation from places of compact residence in any form; forced assimilation or forced integration in any form; encouragement or incitement to racial, ethnic or religious hatred directed against them.
The bill guarantees the cultural, educational, language and informational rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, as well as the rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine to sustainable development.
Most of the provisions of the law come into force from the day of its official publication, except for Part 3 of Article 7, which comes into force after the return of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol under the general jurisdiction of Ukraine.
Thus, Part 3 of Article 7 of the adopted law provides that indigenous peoples have the right to channel part of the income received by budgets of all levels from the use of natural resources located on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol for the needs of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine.
