Cultural, Linguistic, and Religious Diversity

The Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights

Text as of March 2026

In the context of Ukraine’s European integration, ensuring cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity is significant not only legally, but also in terms of values. According to Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, respect for diversity is an integral part of European identity and the “unity in diversity” principle.

For Ukraine, implementing this approach means building an inclusive democratic society in which every person’s right to preserve and develop their own identity is guaranteed, and diversity is viewed as a resource for social cohesion and democratic resilience.

Based on research and human rights advocacy practice, we have identified the following challenges to realizing this right in Ukraine:

No clear integrative approach to defining the principles of cultural diversity, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue in Ukraine’s state cultural policy, which limits the effective role of culture in the processes of European integration and social cohesion.
No indicator system to assess cultural diversity and the policy effectiveness in this area, which complicates strategic planning and monitoring of how cultural initiatives impact human rights.
No measurable goals regarding the inclusion of national minorities and vulnerable groups in long-term cultural programs, which hinders their effective implementation in the context of minority integration.
Insufficient mechanisms for consultation and participation of national minorities and religious communities in the development of cultural policy, which leads to the neglect of their needs when it comes to safeguarding their rights.
Limited adaptation of regional cultural policy to decentralization and post-war needs, which leads to unequal access to culture in the regions and the neglect of local communities, both in discussions regarding the role of culture and in post-war community recovery.
Inadequate procedures for monitoring, documenting, and assessing the damage to the cultural sector caused by Russian aggression.
Insufficient systematic efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage and mechanisms for the return of artifacts, which leads to the risk of losing cultural assets without effective restitution in wartime conditions.
Ineffective protection of copyright in the cultural sector, particularly in the digital environment, which limits the development of creative industries and the protection of creators’ rights.
Limited decentralization of cultural policy, where local self-governments lack capacity for inclusive governance and community participation.
Weak interagency coordination between the Ministry of Culture, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, and other bodies, which leads to a fragmented cultural rights protection policy that lacks an effective structure.
Imbalance in language policy, creating disproportionate restrictions on the languages of national minorities and violating the right to use native languages.
Imbalance in the educational rights of minorities. This limits opportunities for education in the native language and reduces the preservation of cultural identity.
Ineffective mechanisms for protection against discrimination on ethnic, linguistic, or religious grounds.
Limited representation of cultural and religious diversity in the media, insufficient support for the languages of national minorities, and the absence of systematic countermeasures against hate speech.
Nontransparent registration procedures, inadequate protection of the property rights of religious organizations, and a lack of state neutrality in matters of religion create risks of restricting freedom of conscience and religion and religious discrimination.
No consistent state policy on freedom of conscience and religion manifested in weak support for interfaith dialogue, a selective approach to different denominations, and excessive regulation of the activities of religious organizations.

What Ukraine Needs to Do During the EU Accession Process to Improve the Situation:

Update national cultural policy: Establish the principles of cultural diversity, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue as legal standards in line with EU values.
Implement a long-term cultural development program: Include measurable goals regarding the inclusion of minorities and vulnerable groups, guided by the FCNM and ECRML standards as well as relevant EU programs.
Adapt regional cultural policy: Update the legal framework to account for decentralization, post-war needs, and the principles of equal access to culture, involving local communities.
Introduce strategic planning mechanisms in the cultural sector: Develop a system of indicators to assess the state of cultural diversity and the effectiveness of policies, drawing on EU/UNESCO experience.
Improve mechanisms for documenting and compensating for damage to culture: Harmonize procedures for monitoring, documenting, and assessing damage caused to the cultural sector as a result of Russian aggression, while establishing compensation mechanisms adapted to European standards.
Create a unified national registry of stolen cultural heritage objects. Integrate the existing catalogs of the Ukrainian Ministries of Culture and Internal Affairs into a single registry to promptly monitor, document, and assess cultural property stolen as a result of Russian aggression. The aim is to effectively restitute the property, hold the perpetrators accountable, and harmonize with European standards. This includes cooperating with the databases of INTERPOL, UNESCO, and ICOM.
Implement European standards for the protection of cultural heritage: Strengthen the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property and ensure the return of artifacts. This includes combating the illicit removal of artifacts and ensuring the restitution of cultural property while implementing the necessary legislative changes.
Modernize copyright legislation: Improve the legal framework for the protection of copyright and related rights in the cultural sector, ensuring compliance with European directives, particularly in the digital environment.
Deepen decentralization in culture: Promote the decentralization of cultural policy by expanding the powers of local self-government bodies while simultaneously implementing the principles of inclusive governance and community participation in shaping the cultural environment.
Strengthen interagency coordination: Create an effective platform for policy coordination between the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Service for Ethnic Policy, local self-governments, and other bodies in the field of cultural rights protection, in particular by establishing a national coordination structure.
Guarantee freedom of conscience and religion: Modernize the relevant law, ensuring transparency in registration, protection of property, and state neutrality in accordance with ECHR standards of practice.
Balance language policy: Ensure the harmonious application of legislation on the state language and the languages of national minorities, guaranteeing the rights of minorities to use their native languages and eliminating disproportionate restrictions.
Step up the fight against discrimination: Improve anti-discrimination legislation and institutional mechanisms to effectively protect against discrimination on ethnic, linguistic, and religious grounds.
Ensure the educational rights of minorities: Guarantee a balance between the study of the state language and the right to education in native language/the study of native language.
Contribute to media pluralism: Support media outlets representing national minorities and the portrayal of diversity in the media; counter hate speech; ensure that representatives of various groups have access to national media.
Ensure minority participation in decision-making: Improve mechanisms for consulting and involving representatives of national minorities and religious communities in the development of cultural policy.
Implement the Strategy for Promoting the Rights and Opportunities of Persons Belonging to the Roma National Minority in Ukrainian Society for the Period up to 2030 more effectively. Focus on access to documents, education, housing, and protection against discrimination. Prepare a public report on the implementation of the strategy.

Minimum mandatory requirements for harmonizing legislation following Ukraine’s accession to the EU:

Integrate a gender perspective into cultural policy. The Strategy must be supplemented with measures to ensure gender equality—for example, encouraging women’s participation in the creative industries and supporting gender-balanced programs (taking into account the needs of both women and men in accessing cultural services).
Strengthen attention to the rights of national minorities and intercultural dialogue. It is recommended to outline clearer steps to support the cultural identity of minorities: funding projects in the languages of national communities, holding intercultural festivals, and facilitating exchanges between different ethnic communities within the country.
Develop programs for intercultural dialogue and exchange. In addition to promoting Ukrainian culture abroad, bilateral exchange programs should be initiated with other countries and within Ukraine (between different regions and communities). These could include dialogue programs, residencies, and joint creative workshops between Ukrainian artists and artists from the EU and around the world. This approach will align with the EU’s goal of promoting intercultural dialogue for mutual understanding and peaceful relations. It will also help overcome the consequences of conflicts through culture—by building bridges between people with different experiences (for example, between displaced persons and host communities, or between different religious or linguistic groups).
Provide measures to support freedom of artistic expression. As part of the Strategy’s implementation, guarantees and programs should be developed to ensure artists’ freedom of self-expression. This may include establishing legal mechanisms to protect artists from censorship or persecution, and supporting controversial and experimental projects that address important social issues. In particular, given decolonization policies, it is important to clearly distinguish between the propaganda narratives of the aggressor state and artists’ good-faith reinterpretations of history—the latter should be encouraged, even if provocative. Freedom of creativity is an essential part of cultural human rights, and ensuring it will strengthen the democratic nature of cultural policy.
Strengthen the focus on civil society participation. It is recommended to institutionalize the role of the public in implementing the Strategy. For example, create a permanent platform (council, forum) under the Ministry of Culture with the participation of representatives of creative unions, cultural NGOs, and human rights defenders to oversee the implementation of reforms. It is also advisable to provide simplified access for NGOs and independent cultural initiatives to the grant programs mentioned in the Strategy to ensure that resources reach not only state institutions but also local creative communities.
Emphasize culture as part of human rights. It is proposed that the text of the Strategy (for example, in the general principles section) explicitly states that citizens’ cultural rights are an essential part of human rights. This could include a reference to the Constitution or international treaties, affirming the state’s obligation to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in cultural life.
Expand cooperation with European programs and initiatives. To align with EU policy, Ukraine should actively utilize existing EU instruments in the fields of culture and human rights. It is recommended that during the implementation of the Strategy activities be synchronized with European programs—such as Creative Europe, Erasmus+ (cultural component), bilateral exchange programs, and others. For example, expanding Ukrainian cultural institutions’ access to EU funding for joint projects is explicitly provided for in the Strategy and aligns with the EU’s goals of strengthening international cultural cooperation. At the same time, cultural initiatives in the field of human rights should be coordinated with projects supported by the European Union (protection of minority rights, promotion of tolerance, interfaith dialogue, etc.). This will ensure mutual reinforcement of efforts and alignment with the expectations of European partners.

For a more detailed overview of the EU and Ukraine’s acquis and case law related to this right, and the rationale for our recommendations, please see the research section of this page. Specifically, see the document available only in Ukrainian: Cultural, Linguistic and Religious Diversity in the Context of Human Rights and Ukraine’s European Integration. If you have any feedback or comments about this material, please send them to: hrmap@ccl.org.ua.

Experts

Tymofii Atamanchuk

Legal Analyst, NGO “Center for Civil Liberties”