CERTAIN ISSUES REGARDING THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

Abstract

The article analyzes the development of Ukrainian legislation on national minorities, which has gone through several stages, reflecting the state's desire to ensure equality of rights for all ethnic communities living on its territory. After regaining independence, Ukraine was faced with the need to form its own policy on the rights of national minorities, laying the legal foundations of their status in the conditions of new statehood.The national legislative framework, combined with international obligations, creates a solid legal foundation for the protection of the rights of national minorities. Theoretically, it guarantees broad opportunities for the participation of ethnic communities in public and political life, contributing to their legal protection and cultural development. However, the practical application of these norms remains the subject of further research and improvement of legal regulation.The development of Ukrainian legislation on national minorities remains a dynamic process in which national legal changes occur under the influence of both domestic reforms and international recommendations. Further implementation of the relevant norms will require a balance between strengthening the state language policy and respecting the rights of national communities in accordance with European standards.However, the process of harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with European standards is not always smooth, as the issue of reconciling international obligations with national interests and the internal political situation often arises. One of the key issues raised by the Venice Commission is the insufficient detailing of the linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities.The adoption of the updated Law of Ukraine «On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine» was a significant step in ensuring the rights of national minorities and fulfilling Ukraine's European integration commitments. At the same time, further work on its improvement will remain an important area of state policy in the context of EU integration.Obviously, the process of adapting Ukrainian legislation to European standards is far from complete. However, it is already clear that these reforms are a necessary step both to fulfill Ukraine's international obligations and to ensure the stable development of interethnic relations in the country.