VALUE ASPECTS OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF UKRAINE (ON THE EXAMPLE OF CRIMEAN TATARS)

Abstract

The article examines the value aspects of political participation of indigenous peoples of Ukraine using the example of the Crimean Tatar people, whose modern political subjectivity is being formed in conditions of occupation and systematic human rights violations. The theoretical basis for the analysis is provided by international standards for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, primarily the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which enshrines the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decision- making through representatives of their own choosing and the principle of “internal self-determination” as a value-based alternative to assimilationist and discriminatory practices. It is argued that the political participation of indigenous peoples is based on a set of fundamental values: self-determination, dignity, recognition, justice, non-discrimination, preservation of cultural identity and collective rights, as well as on the principles of inclusive democracy and partnership between the state and indigenous communities. The main models for ensuring the participation of indigenous peoples in global practice are considered, including parliamentary representation, consultative bodies, autonomous forms of self-government, mechanisms for mandatory consultation and free, prior, and informed consent, etc. The evolution of the political participation of Crimean Tatars in independent Ukraine through the institutions of the Kurultai and the Mejlis is shown, as well as the transformation of this participation after 2014 as a result of the occupation of Crimea and repressive practices by the russian federation, including the ban on the Mejlis. eparately, the article analyzes normative changes in Ukraine, in particular the legislative consolidation of the status of indigenous peoples and guarantees of their political participation, which is considered an indicator of the democratic maturity of the state and the restoration of historical justice.