On 19-20 October in Kyiv the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” in cooperation with the Ministry For Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine and with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine held a national forum “Three Years of Displacement: Challenges and Good Practices of IDPs Integration”.

The Forum brought together over 100 participants from 13 different regions of Ukraine, representatives of relevant national, regional and local authorities, academics, state institutions and civil society organizations working with IDPs, international organizations and media.

The event took place on the third anniversary of the adoption of the Ukrainian law “On Ensuring of Rights and Freedoms of Internally Displaced Persons” aiming to create a space for communication, inspiration, experience exchange and networking of internally displaced persons as well as various stakeholders which implement policies and practices promoting integration of IDPs into host communities.

Participants of the Forum were welcomed by Ms Lilja Gretarsdottir, Deputy Head of Division, Cooperation with International Institutions and Civil Society, Council of Europe, Mr Vadym Chernysh, Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Mr Shigeki Sumi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Ms Verena Taylor, Director of the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes, Council of Europe and Mr Mårten Ehnberg, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.

Expert inputs and presentations were delivered at the plenary by Mr Oleksandr Pryvalov, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Mr Pablo Mateu, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, Ms Ester Ruiz de Azua, Emergency and Stabilization Programme Coordinator of IOM, Ms Cathrine Brun, Director of the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice from Oxford Brookes University, Ms Nadine Walicki, Expert On Internal Displacement, Mr Dermot Hamilton, Program director of «Stabilization Support Services» in Ukraine, Ms Valeriya Vershynina, Program Manager of the Liaison Officer Program, Mr Izet Gdanov, First Deputy of the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Mr Sergei Bazarya, Coordinator of the Action Plan for Ukraine, and Ms Ganna Khrystova, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe Project «Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine».

Within thematic sections of the Forum participants shared their experience and presented practices in three different fields: integration through implementation of cultural and educational activities; integration by providing social services and psychological support; integration through initiatives on employment and capacity building of IDPs.

Two separate sessions of the event were dedicated to discussion on a draft “Strategy of Integration of Internally Displaced Persons and Providing Durable Solutions for IDPs till 2020” elaborated by the Ministry.

Participants’ feedback, suggestions and constructive critique were focused on the amendments to the text of the draft to be processed by the Ministry for further promotion of its adoption and implementation.