Ukrainian, Hungarian ombudsmen agree on reciprocal visits to monitor minority rights

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets and his Hungarian counterpart, Imre Juhász, have agreed to conduct reciprocal monitoring visits on the protection of national minority rights, the Ukrainian Ombudsman’s Office reported.

Photo: Dmytro Lubinets / Facebook

During a meeting on July 13, 2026, the two ombudsmen discussed expanding institutional cooperation. They agreed to establish a permanent working group to respond promptly to alleged rights violations involving citizens of both countries. Juhász also backed the initiative to launch joint monitoring visits.

“In the near future, we plan to conduct reciprocal monitoring visits. In Ukraine, we will jointly visit schools and kindergartens and meet with representatives of the Hungarian national minority. In return, we will make a similar visit to Hungary to learn about the country’s practices for protecting the rights of Ukrainian citizens,” Lubinets said.

Lubinets also noted that the Ombudsman’s Office has not received a single complaint from members of Ukraine’s Hungarian minority alleging rights violations in 2026. In previous years, the office received only one or two such complaints annually.

According to the Ukraine’s Ombudsman’s Office, 91 educational institutions in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia Region (Oblast) provide instruction in Hungarian to 12,975 students, while another 2,550 students study Hungarian as a separate subject.

Monitoring visits to communities across Zakarpattia Oblast found that Hungarian is freely used in everyday life. Local government officials and municipal employees communicate with residents in Hungarian whenever necessary.

During the meeting, Lubinets also asked his Hungarian counterpart to support Ukraine’s bid for observer status at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

ZMINA previously reported that agreements between Ukraine and Hungary on the rights of the Hungarian national minority include bilingual street signs, the use of minority symbols, and the right for students to speak their native language during school breaks.

In May 2026, Ukraine and Hungary resumed expert consultations on the rights of the Hungarian national minority, with representatives of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia participating in the first meeting.

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