Hungary turns to United Nations because of Ukrainian Education Act

“Hungary is turning to the United Nations because of the amendment of the Ukrainian Educating Act, because Ukraine’s decision also violated the UN’s minority regulations”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Tuesday.

The Minister is attending the 72nd Session of the United Nations general Assembly in New York, and while reporting on his negotiations during the visit, he explained:

“Ukraine has made a shameful decision with relation to the amendment of the Education Act”, as a result of which Hungarian children over the age of 10 have been stripped of the right to study in their native language.

“This decision not only violated Ukraine’s international obligation and European Law, but also the UN’s regulations on minorities”, he pointed out.

Mr. Szijjártó told the press that accordingly he had submitted a written request to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights asking for the issue to be investigated, in addition to which Hungary will also be turning to the United Nations general Assembly, which is meeting this week in New York, requesting that the international community apply pressure to Ukraine in the interests of having the decision, which also violates the UN’s minority regulations, rescinded.

Prior to the session of the Foreign Affairs Council, he also spoke to the Foreign Minister of Austria, which holds the current presidency of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), also asking that

the organisation put pressure on Ukraine to ensure that the new legislation does not come into force, Mr. Szijjártó stated.