Ukrainian World Congress
Ukrainian World Congress ( or "СКУ") is a non-profit organization, nonpartisan association, international coordination assembly of all Ukrainian public organizations in diaspora. It represents the interests of over 20 million Ukrainians. General information. The congress has member organizations in 33 countries and ties with Ukrainians in 14 additional countries. Founded in 1967 in New York City as the "World Congress of Free Ukrainians". Organization was renamed in 1993 to its current name. In 2003, the Ukrainian World Congress was recognized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with special consultative  status. Goals and Objectives. The main goals and objectives of the UWC are to: 1) represent the interests of Ukrainians in the diaspora; 2) coordinate an international network of member organizations that support and promote the Ukrainian national identity, spirit, language, culture and achievements of Ukrainians throughout the world; 3) promote the civic development of Ukrainians in their countries of settlement, while fostering a positive attitude towards Ukrainians and the Ukrainian state; and 4) defend the rights of Ukrainians, independently of their place of residence in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Leadership. From 2008 to 2018, Eugene  Czolij from Canada has been President of the UWC. He was elected in 2008 by the IX World Congress of Ukrainians. Now ten years later on the XI Ukrainian World Congress, which took place in November 2018 in Kyiv, Paul Grod also from Canada has been elected new president of the UWC. Members of the Executive Committee include: Jaroszlava Hartyanyi, Hungary, 1st vice-president Irene Sushko, Canada, 2nd vice-president, President of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations Stefan Romaniw, Australia, Secretary-General Ihor Laszok, USA, Financial Officer Zenon Potichnyj, Canada, Treasurer Councils and Committees. 13 UWC councils  and committees work actively to address questions that define Ukrainian community life. These include human and civil rights, UN matters, awareness of the Holodomor in the international community, education, social services, youth, assistance to Ukrainian citizens living abroad, scholarly matters, culture, the fight against human trafficking, media, sport and the cooperative movement. Priority Issues. Currently, the UWC has been actively promoting Ukraine's Euro-integration in meetings with high-ranking officials of the European Union. The UWC has called for the signing of the "EU-Ukraine Association Agreement" as early as 25 February 2013 during the EU-Ukraine Summit in  Brussels, Belgium. The UWC has focused on such important issues as: the protection and defence of the human and national minority rights of Ukrainians; the international recognition of the Holodomor of 1932-33 as an act of genocide (now officially recognized by 16 countries); the democratization of Ukraine and its integration into the European Union; the strengthening of Ukraine as a state and the inviolability of its borders; election monitoring, including the UWC’s International Election Observation Mission to the 2012 Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine (the largest non-government sponsored mission of its kind); the social and economic issues surrounding  the economic migration from Ukraine; the promotion of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine and the diaspora; the return to the Ukrainian community in Poland of the Ukrainian National Home in Przemyszl which was confiscated during the Operation Vistula (Akcja Wisla); and the global problem of human trafficking. Since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the UWC has been helping Ukraine become the natural epicentre for Ukrainianism throughout the world for the benefit of Ukrainians both in Ukraine and abroad.