Displaced themselves, and now advocating for the rights and durable solutions for all internally displaced in communities across Ukraine [EN/UK]

More than 1,000 Councils of internally displaced people (IDP), established under local administrations across Ukraine, advocate for the rights and needs of IDPs. The councils’ mission is to help IDPs become fully-included and active members of their new home communities, and be part of decision-making.

Author Tetiana Kuras, UNHCR | 20 Aug 2024

With millions of Ukrainians uprooted by Russia’s full-scale invasion, councils for internally displaced people, so-called IDP councils, have emerged as crucial bodies advocating for the rights of people who were forced to flee their homes.

Before the full-scale war, these councils existed primarily in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. These consultative bodies, composed of local authorities, IDPs and civil society representatives, exist at oblast and local levels to serve as a link between IDPs and local authorities to ensure that IDPs can actively participate in public decision-making. They are tasked with developing recommendations to ensure that IDPs are included in local programming and policy decisions affecting them – thereby facilitating IDPs’ full-inclusion and participation in their community.

IDP councils are more than just a communication platform. They ensure the right of displaced Ukrainian to continue to participate in public affairs and enables IDPs to take initiative and ownership of solutions to their displacement as citizens of their country.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its NGO partners, most notably Stabilization Support Services (SSS), have so far supported the establishment of and provided capacity development for over 100 IDP councils across Ukraine. With the support of UNHCR and its partners, councils continue to strengthen their capacity and effectiveness, contributing to more inclusive and resilient communities.

“IDP councils are the key for people to adapt here and now”

Mykola Butko, 23, head of the IDP council in Poltava:

“Many people who just moved to the community have nothing. Usually, just the documents and some essentials if they had time to grab them. They could have property, jobs and status. But when you are in a new place, you have to start from scratch,” says Mykola, who several months ago was appointed as the head of the IDP council in Poltava and became the youngest person in this role in Ukraine.

Mykola also headed the Youth Council of the Poltava City Territorial Community, which helped him to gain valid experience in cooperation with local government.

Mykola himself was internally displaced from Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia region when the full-scale invasion started. He combined study and work in one of the largest humanitarian units in Poltava, worked in collective sites, and was an outreach facilitator. Mykola explains that he had no choice but to accept the fact that he must build his career and life in the new place.

“The IDP council is key for displaced people to be able to develop and adapt in a new place and build their future there,” Mykola explains.

“I help those who turn to me”

Olena Radchenko, 36, member of the IDP council in Uzhhorod: Olena is an active member of the Uzhhorod IDP council and a practicing attorney. She fled to Uzhhorod from Druzhkivka, Donetsk region in the spring of 2022 after the start of the full-scale invasion. In Uzhhorod, she worked with UNHCR’s national partner NGO Neemia when she became a member of the IDP council. Later, Olena changed her job but stayed in the council as she strongly believes in the importance of this work.

“We mostly focus on the rights of internally displaced people. For instance, if people believe their rights are being violated in a dormitory at a temporary residence, they can contact us for assistance. We provide various options for resolving the issue and of course offer mediation. Personally, I help those who turn to me, for example, to draft applications to state bodies, or apply for benefits or address issues related to payments that stopped,” Olena says.

According to Olena, the IDP council in Uzhhorod consists of people with different professions and backgrounds, that brings together a diverse range of expertise and experiences to ensure comprehensive and well-rounded advocacy for decision-making and problem-solving.

“We address the needs and challenges faced by the community more effectively”

Tetiana Krasko, 48, head of the IDP council in Myrhorod:

While the IDP council is an advisory body – and it cannot implement any projects or get direct financial support for any activity – the added value is still very clear, according to Tetiana, who heads the Myrhorod IDP council and NGO “Studio of Public Women’s initiative”.

“Within the IDP council, we network and cooperate with NGOs and the government. This collaboration allows us to address the needs and challenges faced by the community more effectively,” she says.

Tetiana is from Niu-York, a rural settlement in Donetsk region which was only a few kilometers from the front line. For her, the war started in 2014, but at that time she stayed in the village and worked on strengthening the communities by heading the local NGO. In February 2022, with the village occupied by Russia, Tetiana was forced to flee. After relocating to Myrhorod in Poltava region she and her NGO began supporting people in collective sites, and she soon became head of the Myrhorod IDP council, advocating for the rights of other IDPs.

The IDP council in Myrhorod was established in July 2023, and one of the first key achievements was conducting a thorough needs assessment among 300 internally displaced families, followed by the development of a comprehensive strategy and action plan.

“We determined our main areas of focus based on the needs assessment, as this survey gave us a lot of information and helped us understand where to prioritize our efforts,” says Tetiana.

In November 2023, UNHCR supported the first All-Ukrainian IDP council Forum which was held in Kyiv. The Forum has become a powerful platform for dialogue between representatives of IDP councils, the government and civil society sectors, and international human rights organizations.

UNHCR jointly with the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories and our NGO partner SSS have started the preparations for the second National IDP Councils Forum to take place on 27-28 August 2024.