Forum of Councils of Internally Displaced Persons of Four Regions of Ukraine is held in Poltava Oblast

For two consecutive days in Poltava, the Forum of Local Self-Government Bodies of Internally Displaced Persons from the Eastern Regions of Ukraine, titled "Changing Ukraine!" has been taking place. Representatives from the Luhansk, Poltava, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, with the support of the UNDP, are sharing their experience on the integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their new places of residence. This information was provided by the Poltava Regional State Administration.

Deputy Chief of the Poltava Regional State Administration, Oleksiy Bruslyk, talked about Poltava's experience in creating councils for IDPs.

"Our region has become a reliable rear and humanitarian hub for the entire country during these difficult times. The holding of this forum is symbolic since Poltava has received the most residents from the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Luhansk regions. We are grateful to the Charitable Foundation "Stabilization Support Services," which provided expert support to the territorial communities of the region in the creation of councils for IDPs. In Poltava region, there are already 48 such councils of various kinds. Our task is to standardize these councils and bring them into compliance with the decree by September 1st. We aim to involve as many IDPs in these councils as possible so that people have the opportunity to convey their problems, ideas, and proposals to local self-government bodies," said Oleksiy Bruslyk.

The idea of creating councils for IDPs appeared in 2019, according to Valeriya Vershynina, the Program Director of the NGO "Stabilization Support Services."

"Throughout these years, we have been searching for a model and ways to overcome the crisis caused by military events. Creating these councils will never be easy because it is impossible to take someone else's experience and apply it to your own. Every region is unique. Therefore, this forum is a great opportunity to share experiences in adaptation and integration of IDPs in different parts of Ukraine. Here, we have gathered carriers of unique experiences and knowledge that need to be disseminated. After the forum, we will be able to formulate findings, ideas, and recommendations for use throughout the country," Valeriya Vershynina explained.

Forum participants discussed the role of IDP councils in facilitating integration into communities, mechanisms for overcoming barriers, and specific topics related to the realization of the right to housing and social-legal protection. They also presented best practices for the adaptation of resettlers and outlined a joint action plan for cooperation among IDP councils in different regions of the country.