On 5-10 November the Project “Internal Displacement In Ukraine: Building Solutions” organized a study visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the purpose to share experience on human rights protection of internally displaced persons.

In five days visit a wide range of experts took part. In particular, the managers and specialists of Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, Donetsk Regional State Administration, Luhansk Regional State Administration, Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, Mariupol City Council, Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision, State Fund for Youth Housing Assistance, Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, Research Institute of State Building and Local Government.

The study visit provided a space for discussions on governmental policies on IDPs, practical application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter towards internally displaced persons.

Participants reflected on different social and legal support programs provided for IDPs at local level and visited collective centres.

Special focus in the agenda was given to implementation of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP) in two countries.

RHP is a joint initiative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia which is supported, inter alia, by the European Union, the UNHCR, the OSCE, the USA and administrated by the Council of Europe Development Bank.

During the visit the Project facilitated further cooperation and partnership between participants on national and regional level.