Project name: “Strengthening the participation of IDPs in democratic processes of local government”
Project duration: September 2019 – June 2020
Supported by the Democracy Grants Program of the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine
Implementer Stabilization Support Services, CO
IDP Council is a consultative, advisory, representative and intermediate body.
IDP Councils will be represented by:
- internally displaced persons with Ukrainian citizenship
- who are 18 y.o. and older
- and who reside in the local territorial community
IDP Councils will participate in the development and implementation of local policies and self-governance. Guiding principles for IDP Councils are: legality, transparency, collaboration, elected positions, popular sovereignty, accountability and responsibility to communities.
Three IDP Councils will be created for this trial project:
| Donetsk oblast | Luhansk oblast | Kharkiv oblast |
| Kramatorsk city council | Luhansk oblast civil-military administration | Kharkiv Regional State Administration |
The key objectives of the IDP Councils are:
- To promote the participation of IDPs in public affairs;
- To promote the participation of vulnerable groups, in particular women, national minorities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+, who are also IDPs;
- To contribute to achieving durable solutions for IDPs;
- To strengthen the capacity of local government for the integration of IDPs;
- To mainstream gender and conflict sensitivity;
- To consider the needs and interests of IDPs in developing policies and local decision-making processes;
- To increase the visibility of IDPs and IDP organization networks;
- To reduce the tension between the host community and IDPs to avoid conflict between them;
- To build social cohesion in communities;
- To provide opportunities for IDPs to exercise their rights and reduce discrimination against them;
- To ensure effective cooperation between civil society institutions, state institutions and local self-government;
- To establish a stable democracy.