Publication

The paper is based on expert discussions on minority issues and construction of inclusive society, organized by the Institute for European Politics and Reforms (Moldova) and the Institute of World Policy in Chisinau and Kyiv.It is a result of a common effort of experts coming from Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Germany. The round table in Kyiv took place on August 26-27, 2016 and in Chisinau on November 23-24, 2016.

Authors:
Natalia Belitser (Ukraine)
Valeriu Chiveri (Moldova)
Vlad Kulminski (Moldova)
Martin Sieg (Germany)

Executive summary
In their difficult transition from post-Soviet to democratic states, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have scored important successes, as well as have met with some far-reaching failures. Among the key issues that have been largely neglected by both states has been the inclusion and integration of their significant minority populations. This issue has not featured prominently in academic and practical policy-making debates in either country. Because of a dearth of focused and sustained policies on the part of respective governments and civil society to include minorities in mainstream political and economic life, life in minority communities evolved in parallel – and oftentimes at loggerheads with – mainstream societal developments. In practice, two parallel worlds have entrenched in these countries, with two parallel historical narratives, two different sets of identities which dictate two different sets of perceptions. In reality, it is as if the identities, historical narratives and the broader outlook of the majority and the minority populations almost exist in two parallel universes which do not necessarily intersect with each other.
The consequences of this state of affairs are unfortunately all too familiar and have played out again and again. Lack of attention to these issues undermines Moldova and Ukraine’s efforts to become functioning and inclusive societies, leads to separation and seclusion and represents a serious threat to societal stability due to “identity entrepreneurs”, who use this separation and division to promote their political purposes and feed on the people’s fears, misperceptions and apprehensions. Inclusive and open-minded policies could quickly address this issue and set the record straight; however, politicians prefer to exploit rather than to heal this division in order to promote their purposes. The divide grows larger, perceptions – almost always erroneous ones – become entrenched, and this turns into a vicious cycle of misperceptions and mistrust.
Addressing minority inclusion in a strategic and sustainable manner will help Moldova and Ukraine to become stronger, more united countries, a home to all of its citizens, whether representing a minority or a majority, and would create stronger societal bonds and cohesion. This study is an attempt to analyze the minority situations and suggest policies and recommendations that would enable both countries to address the issue of minorities inclusions in a sustained and targeted manner, with a focus on practical results and deliverables. This study has been elaborated in close cooperation with a civil society platform created within the project, which included minority representatives and civil society organizations from both countries.

To download the full text of the paper click here

Table of Contents
Integration of national minorities in the post-soviet space – Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova .
Executive Summary
State of play
Integration of Minorities: the Case of the Republic of Moldova
1. Quality and quantitative analysis
2. International and national legal framework
3. State institutions and their capacities
4. Analysis
4.1 National minorities in governmental structures
4.2 Gagauz-Yeri autonomy, a special case
4.3. The role of political parties in the process of integrating national minorities
4.4 Specific elements in the election legislation in promoting minority candidates
4.5 Languages issues
4.6 Education
4.7 Historical narrative
4.8 Media
Conclusions/Recommendations
Integration of Minorities: the Case of Ukraine
1. Quality and quantitative analysis
2. International and national legal framework
3. Analyses and Policy Recommendations
3.1 Language issues
3.2 Education
3.3 Media
Recommendations

Recommendations
The Case of the Republic of Moldova
 Establish a permanent consultative board for minority representatives and the central-level government in order to promote minorities’ interests, address their concerns, ensure sustained dialogue and lay the ground for inclusion of minorities in mainstream social, economic, political and cultural life. This venue would provide a sustainable mechanism to reflect the interests of minorities within the legislative and administrative frameworks and to resolve the issues that may arise;
 Involve, through this board, minority representatives and organizations, in the drafting and developing national-level legislation such as the Education Code to reflect their interests. This must be a binding part of the process for the government.
 Develop and implement a coherent and multidimensional state policy in relation to national minorities. The Strategy for Integration of Minorities for 2015-2020 elaborated by the Government of Moldova, has left many hopes unfulfilled; and the Consultative Board could provide advice and recommendations on improving this vital document;
 Make the issues of integration of national minorities one of the priorities for any incoming government;
 Design and put into effect policies to attract minorities to government sector jobs;
 Create incentives for political parties to attract minority representatives;
 Revise the legal framework, so as to facilitate integration of persons belonging to national minorities in the social, administrative, cultural, political and economic life of the Republic of Moldova (some pieces of legislation are adopted back in the Soviet period, for instance the Law on functioning of languages on the territory of the Moldavian SSR of 1989);
 Elaborate and put into effect a country-wide program to study the Romanian language as a key prerequisite for enhancing minorities’ access to government positions, seek support of international partners for a program of this magnitude;
 Gradually expand the project “Educational integration of students who speak other languages by expanding the number of school subjects studied in Romanian” to all schools with instruction in minority languages;
 Create the conditions for studying the history and traditions of national minorities for school-age children;
 Set up a permanent dialogue between the central government and the autonomous region of Gagauz-Yeri, based on European practice and standards, in order to harmonize Gagauzia’s status with Moldova’s legislation and to ensure that the autonomous region is able to effectively exercise its powers;
 Strengthen the capacity of the bureau for interethnic relations to effectively address minorities- related issues;
 Create conditions for covering minority-related issues in the media
The Case of Ukraine

To state authorities of Ukraine
 Implement fully and without delays the recently developed National Strategy in the area of human rights until 2020 and those parts of the Action plan relating to national minorities and indigenous peoples (in particular, revise and update national legislation concerning interethnic relations and ethnic minorities, in particular, Concept of Ethnopolitics of Ukraine, new version of the Law on National Minorities, and Law on the Status of the Crimean Tatar People as Indigenous people of Ukraine)
 Elaborate effective mechanisms ensuring minority representation in central and local representative bodies
 Re-establish a central organ of executive power responsible for interethnic relations and minority issues according to the Action plan of the Strategy on human rights
 In a course of decentralisation reforms, enhance and ensure state support for minority educational institutions, culture and media from central and regional budgets
 Include articles on minority and indigenous peoples’ rights into the amended version of the Constitution of Ukraine
 Develop, together with the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, independent experts and scholars, comprehensive Strategy of de-occupation of Crimea
To actors of civil society of Ukraine
 Undertake proactive informational campaigns on issues relating to notion of integration as a ‘process involving all’
 Create database on ‘good practices’ and success stories concerning minority integration in Ukraine and neighbouring countries
 In view of public debate on the future of Crimea as Crimean Tatar Autonomous Republic, pay special attention to the cases of establishing national-territorial autonomies in the otherwise unitary European states, in particular, in the Republic of Moldova (Gagauz-Yeri)
 Engage media resources and work together for spreading information on national minorities and indigenous people as inalienable structural components of Ukrainian civic/political nation.