Ukrainian Central Civic Committee in France

Ukrainian Central Civic Committee in France (Український центральний громадський комітет у Франції; Ukrainskyi tsentralnyi hromadskyi komitet u Frantsii). An organization founded in Paris in 1948 for the co-ordination of Ukrainian community and cultural life and the representation of Ukrainians before the French government. Until 1985 it represented approximately 20 organizations and institutions and was the only Ukrainian umbrella organization in the country. After 1985 the Ukrainian Central Representation in France emerged as a parallel organization. The Civic Committee, with 15 member organizations, belongs to the Ukrainian World Congress. The organization has been headed by Semen Sozontiv (1948–70), O. Melnykovych (1970–9), Yaroslav Musianovych (1979–86), V. Malynovych (1986–9), and V. Mykhalchuk (after 1989). During the tenure of Sozontiv, the committee ensured that the French government officially recognized Ukrainians as one of the country’s nationality groups.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]