UCC and CUF to launch observer mission

Since the declaration of Ukrainian independence in 1991, Canada has had an especially close bilateral relationship with Ukraine. More than 1.2 million Canadians trace their roots to Ukraine, and the Canadian government has made Ukraine a priority country for CIDA. As Ukraine continues its difficult transition from authoritarianism and corruption to democracy, and rule of law, Canada has shown time and again that it stands ready, in the words of Prime Minister Harper, to “support Ukraine when it moves towards freedom, democracy and justice.”[1] In October 2010, Prime Minister Harper visited Ukraine and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Ukraine’s democratic development.

Historically, Canada’s role in supporting the development of Ukrainian democracy has included election monitoring missions. Hundreds of Canadians have served as election observers, both long and short-term through OSCE, CANADEM, joint and independent missions since Ukraine’s independence in 1991. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF) have successfully deployed independent observer missions to monitor Ukrainian elections in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

A joint UCC/CUF mission is once again being organized in preparation for the Parliamentary Elections scheduled for October 28, 2012 with a focus on long-term observers. International sources have confirmed that events leading up to election day, as opposed to the day itself, will be the major factors in determining the legitimacy of these elections.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is the national coordinating body for Ukrainian Canadian organizations. Together with its member organizations, the UCC has been leading, coordinating and representing the interests of one of Canada’s largest ethnic communities (1.2 million) for 70 years and shaping Canada’s social, economic and political landscape.

The Canada Ukraine Foundation is a national, charitable foundation which coordinates, develops, organizes and delivers assistance projects generated by Canadians and directed to Ukraine.