The Eastern Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils is the third interregional forum of IDP Councils, concluding the discussions brought to the forefront at the II All-Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils.
This time, the network of IDP Councils was represented by members from the Poltavska, Kharkivska, Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizka, Donetska, and Luhanska oblasts. The Forum served as a space for IDP Councils to connect, present their work, learn about their peers’ experiences, discuss collaboration between local authorities and the civil sector, and share strategies for overcoming the challenges most commonly faced by displaced persons.
Forum Objectives
- To create a platform for sharing experience, knowledge, and best practices among representatives of IDP Councils, government agencies, civil society organizations, and businesses;
- To strengthen the role of IDP Councils as a key mechanism for supporting internally displaced persons, enabling their socio-economic integration into host communities and contributing to the development of local labor markets;
- To develop strategic directions for the Congress of IDP Councils NGO, presented at the II All-Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils.
Participants
The Eastern Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils gathered 99 participants, including representatives of 18 IDP Councils (a total of 30 people), oblast military administrations, the Inter-Factional Parliamentary Association “VPO of Ukraine,” local government authorities and self-government bodies, including oblast social protection departments, employment centers, oblast branches of the State Youth Housing Agency, non-governmental and international organizations.
Key Speakers:
- Iryna Vereshchuk — Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine;
- Valeriia Vershynina — Executive Director of the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”;
- Filip Pronin — Head of the Poltavska Oblast Military Administration;
- Kateryna Yamshchykova — Acting Mayor of Poltava;
- Federico Sersale — Head of the UNHCR sub-office in Dnipro;
- Vladyslav Nosenko — Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Poltavska Oblast.
Panel Discussions
During the forum, five panel discussions took place. The topics focused on a comprehensive approach to supporting and integrating IDPs, specifically the role of state policy, local programs, and IDP Councils in addressing the pressing issues faced by displaced persons:
- “State Policy for the Support and Protection of Internally Displaced Persons. IDP Councils as a Mechanism for Addressing Issues”;
- “Local-Level Support and Protection Programs for IDPs. The Role and Impact of IDP Councils in Shaping and Implementing Them”;
- “Promoting Employment for IDPs as a Prerequisite for Their Successful Integration into Communities”;
- “Providing Housing for Internally Displaced Persons, Creating Temporary Housing Funds for IDPs”;
- “Current Challenges: New Threats and Ways to Avoid Them”;
- “The Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an Effective Mechanism for Ensuring the Rights of IDPs at the National Level” (presentation by Maksym Tkachenko, co-chair of the Inter-Factional Parliamentary Association “VPO of Ukraine”).
Workshops
Two workshops were held during the Forum.
The first event featured experience-sharing among IDP Councils in a World Café format, which enabled participants to develop specific recommendations for the government, civil society organizations, and local authorities.
Participants worked in three thematic sections:
Section I: “Housing Rights of IDPs: Rapid Response and Long-Term Solutions”;
Section II: “Employment and Business Support”;
Section III: “Social Protection.”
During the second workshop — “Congress of IDP Councils” — three groups of participants worked on the following areas:
Group 1: “Goals and Objectives of the Coordinating Body for IDP Councils — Congress of IDP Councils NGO”;
Group 2: “Membership in the Congress of IDP Councils NGO”;
Group 3: “Structure of the Governing Bodies of the Congress of IDP Councils NGO.”
Forum Results
- The main areas of activity for the Congress of IDP Councils NGO were developed, including the design of governance structures and the definition of membership criteria. Participants focused on coordination, management, transparency, and the engagement of organization members and other stakeholders.
Media about the Forum
- “Eastern Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils Kicks Off in Poltava” (Skhidnyi Variant).
- “Jobs, Housing, and IDP Integration: Eastern Ukrainian Forum in Poltava Unites Representatives from Six Oblasts” (Kremenchutska Hazeta).
- “Representatives of IDP Councils Gather in Poltava for the Eastern Ukrainian Forum” (Novyny Poltavshchyny).
The event was held by the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” with financial support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.