DESS and AUCCRO agree on "advocacy measures" for 2026

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) organized a meeting with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO). The talks focused on key issues of interaction between government agencies and religious associations, as well as joint «advocacy activities» planned for 2026.

According to the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, the head of the DESS, Viktor Yelensky, greeted Bishop Oleksandr Zan-Fabian of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church, who will chair the AUCCRO for the next six months.

Particular attention was paid to the participation of the AUCCRO in the «advocacy events» planned for 2026. A special emphasis was placed on the «methodology for collecting facts about violations of religious freedoms in the temporarily occupied territories.»

As we reported earlier, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) took part in a series of international events dedicated to religious freedom, which took place in Washington, DC, from February 2 to 4, 2026. During the visit, Ukrainian religious leaders held a series of meetings with high-ranking U.S. officials and representatives of international organizations, focusing on the critical situation with religious freedom in Ukraine.