A meeting was held with representatives of international and Ukrainian governmental and non-governmental organisations to discuss the issues of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the policy of reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories.
The event was hosted by Oleksiy Ryabykin, Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine. This is the first such meeting on TOT and IDP issues.
The event was also attended by Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Natalia Kozlovska, representatives of international and Ukrainian organisations, specialised clusters, the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the ARC, the UN Human Rights Mission, and UNHCR in Ukraine.
“The issue of internally displaced persons and the temporarily occupied territories is one of the priorities for the Ministry of Development. We already see a number of challenges, such as housing, employment of internally displaced persons, education of young people, as well as the lack of settlement of issues with documents and property. That is why the Ministry of Development is starting to develop policies for working with IDPs and reintegrating the temporarily occupied territories. We will hold such meetings on a regular basis, involving representatives of the international community, specialised organisations and agencies. Our goal is a holistic strategy that will be developed taking into account all issues and criteria”, said Oleksiy Ryabikin.
During the meeting, the expected results of the IDP policy were discussed. In particular, the formation of a systemic state policy and its integration into the State Strategy for Regional Development, as well as state, regional and local development strategies.
They also considered the optimal placement of IDPs, the use of tools for reintegrating them into communities, providing social, economic and housing support, and creating government programmes and models for more comfortable living conditions for IDPs.
“We already have a number of developments in housing policy. We have managed to rethink why EU countries have managed to cope with IDPs and we have not. Together with our partners, we have developed a draft law that will replace the outdated Housing Code and become the basis for continuing housing reform, in particular, the introduction of effective social housing mechanisms. We have identified the following areas: compensation for damaged and destroyed housing, restoration of damaged apartment buildings, lending for IDPs and compensation for citizens who have lost access to housing in the temporarily occupied territories. We are working together to ensure that internally displaced persons can benefit from the mechanisms we have developed”, said Natalia Kozlovska.
In addition, a unified information platform will be launched – a digital resource with a full range of services for IDPs. An effective system for collecting and analysing data on the problems, needs and dynamics of IDPs’ integration will also be created.
It is equally important to establish a quality dialogue between the state, communities, businesses and international partners to jointly implement the IDP integration policy. The implementation of these initiatives will contribute to the effective adaptation of internally displaced persons, their social and economic integration, and the sustainable development of Ukraine.
They also discussed the need for a clear plan for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, which will allow for the restoration of state institutions, law and order and economic activity after their return. It is important that this plan envisages the integration of the territories into the Ukrainian legal space and the creation of conditions for a safe and decent life for Ukrainians.
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