Following the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) and the Canadian Association of Crimean Tatars (CACT) during the Crimean Tatar Night on March 24, 2016, a Canadian delegation comprised of members of both organizations headed to the IV Board meeting of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars in Vilnius (Lithuania). The leaders of the Crimean Tatar organizations from across the world took part in this strategic planning meeting. The first day marked the opening of the international conference entitled "Mass Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Crimea." The Lithuanian Parliament was chosen as a venue for this event. Prior to the beginning of the first session of the conference, the guests of the meeting were invited to view the exhibition about the legendary Crimean Tatar leader, Mustafa Dzhemilev, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
High-ranking officials of the Lithuanian Parliament, former dissidents, civic activists and leaders of the Crimean Tatar liberation movement spoke at the human rights conference. All of them expressed concern over Russia's brutal violation of human rights and limitation of civil liberties in Crimea. Numerous Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists have been arrested following the illegal referendum in Crimea for their pro-Ukrainian position. A simple denial of annexation of Crimea is enough nowadays for the so-called Crimean Prosecution Office to issue a warrant for arrest. Mustafa Dzhemilev in his speech warned the Western leaders that, "inadequate response to Russia's illegal activity in Crimea and eastern Ukraine will put the rest of the world at [Russia's] gunpoint." It is important to note that the online translation of the conference available on the Parliament's website was disrupted due to a hacker attack.
The second day started with a board meeting of the members of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars. Following the lengthy meetings and consultation the board issued a list of priorities, which they want to achieve in the nearest future. In the final draft of the resolution, the World Congress called upon the European Parliament and other democratic parliaments across the world to recognize the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944 as an act of genocide, and for the Ukrainian Parliament to officially recognize Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people as the representative body of the indigenous Crimean Tatar nation. The second half of the day guests and delegates of the conference spent at Mykolas Romeris University where Mustafa Dzhemilev was awarded an Honorary Degree for his contribution to the human rights movement and democracy building. The day ended with a reception at the embassy of Ukraine in Lithuania, hosted by Ambassador Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi.
During the final day of the conference the guests had an opportunity to meet with local Crimean Tatar communities in Trakai and Raiziai. The board members of the World Congress took part in a meeting with the Mayor of the town of Trakai regarding the opening of the Crimean Tatar Cultural Centre and the erection of the monument to Khadzhi-Girei (founder of the Crimean Khanate), who was born in Trakai. In the evening the Ambassador of Turkey to Lithuania hosted delegates and guests in the embassy.
The meeting of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars showed the need for Ukrainian diaspora across the world to support the Crimean Tatar community.
The signing of the memorandum in Canada yet again shows our commitment and support of the Crimean Tatars.
