Forum of councils of internally displaced persons in Poltava

For two consecutive days in Poltava, the Forum of Councils of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Eastern regions of Ukraine, "Changing Ukraine," has been taking place. Representatives from the Luhansk, Poltava, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, with the support of the UNHCR, are sharing their experiences on the integration of IDPs into their new places of residence.

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

"Our region has become a reliable rear and humanitarian hub for the entire country in these most challenging times. The organization of this forum is very symbolic, as it is the residents of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Luhansk regions who have been most welcomed by Poltava. We are grateful to the Charity Fund 'Stabilization Support Services,' which provided expert support to the territorial communities of the region in creating councils for IDPs. In Poltava's communities, there are already 48 such councils of various types. Our task is to standardize these councils and bring them in line with the decree by September 1st. We aim to involve as many IDPs as possible in these councils 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 emerged in 2019, according to Valeriya Vershynina, Program Director of the "Stabilization Support Services" Charitable Foundation.

"For all these years, we have been looking for a model and ways to overcome the crisis caused by the military events. Creating councils will never be easy because it is impossible to take someone else's experience and apply it to yourself. Each region is unique. Therefore, this forum is a great opportunity to share experiences of adaptation and integration of IDPs in different parts of Ukraine. Here, unique experiences and knowledge are brought together, which 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 promoting integration into communities, mechanisms for overcoming barriers, and the implementation of the right to housing and socio-legal protection. They presented best practices in resettlement adaptation and outlined a joint action plan for cooperation among IDP councils in various regions of the country.

The Poltava Forum was supported by the Regional Office for International Cooperation of Poltava Region.