On 25-26 August 2017, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with the participation of 206 delegates and guests from 32 countries.
The AGM began officially with a prayer led by Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Adrian Staryna.
On the occasion of this AGM and the 50th anniversary of the UWC, written greetings had been received from the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the President, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Parliament, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the President of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations, the Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and the Rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University.
The AGM adopted the UWC President’s report, which reflected the major activities of the UWC during the past period, including its contribution to the defence of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and furthering the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and implementation of a visa‑free regime for Ukrainian citizens to the Schengen area states.
From 24-26 August 2017 AGM participants attended the following events:
- 24 August 2017 – AGM participants attended the military parade on Maidan Nezalezhnosti marking the 26th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Independence of Ukraine;
- 24 August 2017- the UWC leadership attended a reception at “St. Sophia of Kyiv” National Reserve where, on behalf of the Ukrainian diaspora, UWC President Eugene Czolij congratulated President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on the 26th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, and spoke with Ambassador Kurt Volker, Special Representative of the United States for Ukraine Negotiations, thanking him for the important assessment of Russian aggression in Ukraine and for calling upon the international community to respond accordingly;
- 24 August 2017 – AGM participants met with Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine Dr. Ulana Suprun;
- 25 August 2017 – AGM delegates participated in the Inaugural Economic Forum “Support for Ukraine’s Economic Development: Cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the Diaspora”;
- 26 August 2017 – AGM delegates participated in a special session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the occasion of the UWC 50th anniversary headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin; and
- 26 August 2017 – AGM participants attended the commemoration of the UWC 50th anniversary at Mystetskyi Arsenal.
In the framework of the AGM, delegates headed by UWC President Eugene Czolij laid flowers at the monuments to Taras Shevchenko and Nebesna Sotnia Heroes.
The UWC Annual General Meeting of 2017 adopted the following resolutions:
I. The UWC Annual General Meeting continues to call upon His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to issue a Tomos of Autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
II.The UWC Annual General Meeting continues to call for the recognition of the Patriarchal status of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
III.The UWC Annual General Meeting calls upon the entire international community to unite in combatting the hybrid war of the Russian Federation, which threatens peace and stability in the world.
IV. The UWC Annual General Meeting calls upon the entire Ukrainian diaspora to continue furthering support for Ukraine by the international community, and specifically:
- extending and strengthening targeted sanctions against the Russian Federation until it fully respects the Minsk agreements and de-occupies Crimea;
- providing Ukraine with economic and technical assistance;
- providing the equivalent of a Marshall Plan for Ukraine;
- deploying a police mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Eastern Ukraine and an OSCE special monitoring mission in Crimea;
- facilitating the release of Ukrainian political prisoners held by the Russian authorities;
- protecting human, national, and religious rights and freedoms of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in Crimea and territories in Eastern Ukraine illegally occupied by the Russian Federation and of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation;
- providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid to overcome the consequences of Russian aggression;
- supporting Ukraine on the path towards gaining full membership in the EU; and
- supporting Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic course towards NATO membership.
V. The UWC Annual General Meeting urges the entire Ukrainian diaspora to continue to further:
- the implementation of reforms in Ukraine, in particular in the areas of justice, health care and education, and
- the recognition and full support by the international community of the reforms in Ukraine.
VI. The UWC Annual General Meeting urges the entire Ukrainian diaspora to continue to resolutely counter Russian disinformation, by specifically:
- sharing with the world facts about the imperialistic actions of the Russian Federation in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine; and
- sharing information about Ukraine by highlighting its progress in reforming, modernizing, and combating corruption.
VII. The UWC Annual General Meeting encourages the entire Ukrainian diaspora to disseminate factual information on significant events in the history of Ukraine and to promote the worldwide recognition of the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
VIII. The UWC Annual General Meeting calls upon:
- the Polish and Ukrainian nations to address historical issues concerning relations between Poland and Ukraine through education and reconciliation;
- the Polish people to continue supporting the Ukrainian people in their difficult struggle to restore and defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine and to stop Russian aggression from advancing further West;
- the Ukrainian diaspora to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of the Ukrainian National Republic;
- the Ukrainian diaspora throughout the world to mark the 100th anniversary of the Ukrainian Revolution, to honor the memory of its participants during 2017‑2021, and to ensure the objective representation of this important period of Ukrainian history in foreign publications; and
- the Ukrainian diaspora throughout the world to honour on 15 August of every year the battle under the command of Major General of the Army of the Ukrainian National Republic Marko Bezruchko who, in 1920 near Warsaw, helped overcome the Red Army and save Europe from a Bolshevik invasion.
IX. The UWC Annual General Meeting calls upon the Ukrainian diaspora to:
- continue commemorating the 50th anniversary of the UWC in all countries of the Ukrainian diaspora; and
- actively share information about the achievements of the UWC throughout its 50-year history, particularly material prepared by Lviv Polytechnic National University’s International Institute for Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations.
X. The UWC Annual General Meeting encourages the Ukrainian diaspora to support the strategic priorities proposed by the UWC Committee in Support of the Economic Development of Ukraine during the Economic Forum “Support for Ukraine’s Economic Development: Cooperation Between the Government of Ukraine and the Diaspora”, namely to:
- contribute to increasing the volume of Ukrainian exports globally by promoting Ukrainian goods and services in the countries of residence of the Ukrainian diaspora.
- assist Ukraine in attracting foreign direct investment by supporting the Government of Ukraine’s efforts to reform the country and create a positive business climate. Particular attention should be paid to addressing corruption given this is an impediment to investment;
- support the expansion of trade opportunities for Ukrainian companies worldwide;
- cooperate with the Government of Ukraine regarding its appointment of members of the diaspora as Honorary Consuls of Ukraine, who would focus their efforts on trade and economic issues in their home countries;
- promote the establishment of Ukraine-focused business associations and chambers of commerce, similar to the successful models of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine;
- seek out sources of technical assistance and export financing for Ukraine from countries in which the members of the UWC operate and make every effort to ensure this funding is accessible to Ukrainian projects, businesses and non‑governmental organizations; and
- share its expertise and knowledge in support of the transformation of Ukrainian state‑owned enterprises by submitting their candidacies for CEO positions as they are announced.
“The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Ukrainian World Congress in Ukraine, which coincided with the commemoration of its 50th anniversary, was successful and ensured that Ukrainians throughout the world will continue to defend the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and to further current Ukrainian issues internationally,” – said UWC President Eugene Czolij.
The verbal report of the UWC President is available HERE.
More information on the meeting with Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine Dr. Ulana Suprun is available HERE.
More information on the Inaugural UWC Economic Forum is available HERE and on the web site of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.
More information on the special session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UWC is available on the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
More information on the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the UWC at Mystetskyi Arsenal is available HERE, on the web site of the President of Ukraine and on Channel 5.
In the photo: Participants of UWC Annual General Meeting
