The IDP Councils in Ukraine are an example of successful representation of IDPs’ interests that should be used in other countries with large-scale and protracted internal displacement crises.
These recommendations are contained in the March 2024 Independent Review of the Humanitarian Response to Internal Displacement report prepared by The Humanitarian Policy Group.
The purpose of this review is to understand how the international humanitarian response system can better meet the key protection and support needs of IDPs and improve the lives of displaced people and host communities.
The report states that the format of IDP Councils, pioneered by the Ukrainian Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”, is one possible avenue toward more systematic and comprehensive participation of IDPs in decision-making.
The report emphasizes that the IDP Council model is flexible, with councils formed in different ways depending on local conditions. In many cases, the councils involve a mix of IDPs and civil servants working on relevant briefs. This allows for smoother interactions between IDPs and state bodies, as well as building mutual understanding and trust. A key element of the committee formation process is the training that IDPs receive both on rights and on how to engage with Ukraine’s government policy and planning process.
The report highlights that the Councils must be inclusive and representative of the IDP population – in particular, women, girls, and persons with disabilities. Members of the IDP Councils should be involved in shaping top-level objectives for the Humanitarian Response Plan or similar instruments, and solutions strategies.
- “The international attention and recognition of the importance of the efforts of the IDP Councils inspires us to work even harder for the benefit of people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our main objective now is to support and train the members of the Councils, to facilitate the exchange of experience between them and all interested experts. Of course, if our experience proves useful and helps IDPs abroad, it will make us happy,” Olha Ivanova, Program Director at the CF “Stabilization Support Services”, commented on the report’s findings.
The first IDP Councils were established on a pilot basis in 2019, and since 2023, these organizations have been included in Ukraine’s national strategy on IDPs and long-term solutions in this field. Thanks to the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, as of March 2024, IDP Councils have been established in nearly 1,000 communities (at the level of settlements, raions, and oblasts).
Primarily, IDP Councils play a consultative role, interacting directly with local administrations and self-government authorities to ensure that IDPs’ rights are respected and that their specific needs are taken into account in various government programs and services.
The Independent Review of the Humanitarian Response to Internal Displacement report is prepared for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (since 1991, the highest body for international humanitarian coordination at the UN level) and the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement.