The AUCCRO discussed the shortage of registration devices for community re-registration with the State Election Commission (GESS)

During a meeting with the leadership of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) raised a number of issues related to the activities of religious organizations. The main problem was the acute shortage of state registrars, which significantly hinders the process of establishing and officially operating religious communities.

During the dialogue, which was led by the agency’s head, Viktor Yelensky, representatives of the Council of Churches also highlighted the challenges faced by communities forced to leave the temporarily occupied territories. Many of them have lost their charter documents, and religious leaders have appealed to the government for assistance in restoring them.

In addition, meeting participants discussed difficulties in identifying religious organizations in state registries and the need to adapt licensing requirements for educational programs at religious educational institutions. To resolve these issues more efficiently, representatives of the All-Russian Council for Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Affairs proposed establishing regional branches of the State Expert System for Religious Affairs.

In closing the meeting, the parties emphasized the importance of improving cooperation between central and local authorities and religious associations, and also discussed the prospects for amending legislation governing the rights of believers in Ukraine.

As a reminder, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) lost its status as a fully-fledged representative body after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) was effectively excluded from its activities. This conclusion was reached by Thomas Bremer, Professor Emeritus at the University of Münster.