On 21 February 2018, the final Steering Committee Meeting of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of IDPs in Ukraine” took place in Kyiv. The Project is implemented under the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017 and it was aimed at advancing of the legislation on IDPs, enhancing the capacity of relevant stakeholders to effectively protect the rights of IDPs, rising awareness as well as promoting of integration and positive relations in host communities.

Participants were welcomed by Mr Régis Brillat, Special Advisor to Council of Europe's Secretary General for Ukraine and Mr Mårten Ehnberg, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.

Among 60 participants who attended the meeting, there were high management of the Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine and Ministry of Social Police of Ukraine, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry for Regional Development, Building and Housing of Ukraine, Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision, the Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights on IDPs issues, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Institute for Economic and Legal Research of the NAS of Ukraine, National School of Judges of Ukraine, State specialized financial institution “State Fund for Youth Housing Assistance”, heads and deputy heads of departments of social protection of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv Regions, leading civil society organizations.

The meeting was chaired by Ms. Lilja Gretarsdottir, Project Coordinator, Deputy Head of Division, Deputy Head of Division, Independent Human Rights Bodies Division, DGI, Council of Europe and Mr. Heorhiy Tuka, Deputy Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and IDPs of Ukraine.

During the activity Ganna Khrystova introduced the highlights and achievement of the Project in 2016-2017. Members of the Committee positively noted activity of the Project, in particular, an expert support provided to the Working Group on Improving National Legislation and the Human Rights Protection of IDPs, monitoring visits to remote communities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, seminars for judges and trainings for lawyers who provide secondary free legal aid.

Members of the Committee provided a constructive feedback on the results of the Project, stressing on the expediency of its continuation in the future.