On August 4, the Government of Ukraine sanctioned the Model Regulation on the IDP Council [https://bit.ly/3DPGcJ7]. This document outlines the operations, structure, and objectives of IDP Councils. It importantly suggests that both state (military) administration and local authorities consider setting up such Councils to integrate IDPs into the host communities.

Since its establishment in January 2022, the United Voices in Action program has championed the creation of IDP Councils. The program’s legal team refined the initial regulations created by the CO CF Stabilization Support Services. These revised regulations, alongside other essential documents for the IDP Council establishment, are available on the United Voices in Action website [https://bit.ly/3KvFmVw].

This refined model was then forwarded to the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories. Following further refinement with contributions from a coalition of human rights organizations, the Government approved it. Significantly, the majority of clauses suggested by the program’s legal team found their place in the finalized Model Regulation.

Will this document facilitate a quicker establishment of IDP Councils at multiple levels? The program’s experts hold a hopeful view.

“The Regulation addresses numerous crucial aspects of the IDP Council’s function, its creation and dissolution process, and its main duties and entitlements. This ensures a stable and streamlined operation of the IDP Council. Presently, local authorities recognize the significance of such an advisory entity for the assertion of IDPs’ rights, particularly their participation right in local governance, which they’re regrettably denied,” remarked Oksana Savytska, a senior lawyer for the United Voices in Action. “The Resolution encourages local administrations to form IDP Councils, which should bridge the communication gap between them and initiative groups struggling to engage with the authorities.”

The project’s regional team has already witnessed positive shifts. As Iryna Pylypenko, the regional coordinator in Volynska Oblast, recalls, she approached an official from the Department of Social Protection of the Oblast State Administration post the Model Regulation’s approval. When asked about establishing an IDP Council, the response was affirmative.

Svitlana Prokofieva, the regional coordinator of the program in Zhytomyrska Oblast, where no IDP Council exists yet at the level of the oblast center or the oblast overall, voiced her optimism: “I have high hopes for this document! Of course, there is no direct requirement to create an IDP Council at every local council: some communities will continue to work using existing advisory bodies, while others will decide to create new ones sooner. However, this governmental resolution and the Model Regulations are clear indicators of community efforts in IDP integration and rights protection.”

The program experts believe that even the functioning Councils will benefit from this Model Regulation. As an illustration, in the Poltavska Oblast, two IDP Councils in the United Voices in Action project’s target communities, Poltava and Kremenchuk, anticipate changes.

“We will review the membership of both councils,” informed Roman Shyrokhykh, the program’s regional coordinator in Poltavska Oblast. “In Kremenchuk, we will now be able to engage more IDPs in local decision-making due to the existing Council’s inadequate representation. In Poltava, there’s a plan to reconsider the role of the executive committee of the deputy corps in decision-making, aiming to bolster IDP representation. Even the Council’s chairperson might be re-elected from among IDPs.”

Roman is optimistic that the Model Regulation will standardize the approach across both metropolises and smaller communities, addressing the common issue where authorities overlooked the necessity for an advisory entity for IDPs.

We’re eager to witness these positive shifts soon. Our gratitude extends to everyone who contributed to the development and refinement of the IDP Council’s Model Regulation, which has received the Government’s endorsement.