Valeriia Vershynina, Advocacy Coordinator of the United Voices in Action program, also contributed to developing the Strategy on Internal Displacement.

Valeriia, can you tell us why you thought joining was necessary? What is the current situation, and what the strategy is supposed to change?

The Strategy on Internal Displacement is an important document that defines the areas of action to ensure the protection and support of internally displaced persons in Ukraine. This year, the Ministry has significantly changed its approach to its preparation. The Strategy covers all stages of internal displacement, from evacuation to return. We considered it necessary to be involved in its development, as it allowed us to contribute to the improvement of the situation of internally displaced persons and ensured a wider representation of opinions and proposals in the development process. We paid special attention to the sections on social adaptation and integration of IDPs.

How did your work experience help you develop the provisions?

This is not about my experience, but about the joint work of a coalition of NGOs working to protect the rights of IDPs and a network of IDP Councils that were involved in the process of developing recommendations for the content of the Strategy. The proposals were developed online during meetings of experts and representatives of IDP Councils, which allowed us to consider different views and approaches to the problems of internally displaced persons.

How did you get the opportunity to join the development?

We were able to join the development thanks to the openness of the Ministry of Reintegration. During the development of the first draft, we had the opportunity to review it and make comments and suggestions. After that, we participated in meetings and discussions about the final version.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Strategy of State Policy on Internal Displacement until 2025. The new Strategy is a response to the challenges of massive population displacement and provides comprehensive state support for IDPs from evacuation to social adaptation in a new place and the return home.