FUEN passes first Rusyn resolution since 2002

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) held its 52nd annual Assembly of Delegates from 16-20 May 2007 in Tallinn, Estonia, and after a pause of many years, Rusyns were on the agenda once again.

The assembly’s Resolution 2007-03 calls on Ukraine to recognize the Carpatho-Rusyn minority in Transcarpathia, end “the violent assimilation” and to grant “equal legal rights to those of other national minorities in the Ukraine…”.

FUEN was founded in 1949 and is made up of 81 member organizations from 32 countries. It is one of the most important bodies in Europe advocating for the rights of national minorities and ethnic groups, with participatory status at the Council of Europe and consultative status at the United Nations.

Rusyn issues at FUEN are somewhat complicated by the fact that the Rusyns’ central
body, the World Council of Rusyns, is not a member. The Society of Carpatho-Rusyns of Ukraine is a regular member, while the pro-Ukrainian Zjednoczenie Lemkow of Poland is an associate member.

Among the regular events FUEN organizes throughout Europe are the EUROmin soccer tournament, the European Minority Film Festival and the European Minority Marathon.