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Legal Forum "Legal Challenges to Protecting the Rights of IDPs in the Context of War in Ukraine" was held by R2P in Lviv

July 14, 2023

For the first time in Lviv, we held a large-scale legal Forum "Legal Challenges to Protecting the Rights of IDPs in the Context of War in Ukraine". Almost 100 participants from all over Ukraine - lawyers, attorneys, human rights defenders, representatives of international organizations and the public - gathered to discuss ways to help IDPs in Ukraine.

At the opening of the Forum, Nadiya Kovalchuk, R2P Program Director, noted that the Foundation has been working in the field of human rights protection for 10 years and provides legal assistance to IDPs, refugees and asylum seekers, stateless persons and all those affected by the war.

"The Legal Forum is an opportunity for us to become a place of exchange of views and partnerships. We believe that one organization can solve something, but together we can really move certain problems forward", - added Nadiya Kovalchuk.

During the two days of the Forum, representatives of international partners, all-Ukrainian civil society organizations, and government agencies dealing with human rights protection discussed the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in the context of providing assistance to the affected population since 2014, as well as changes to the procedure for making payments to internally displaced persons. Vitaliy Chornenkyi, R2P Coordinator of the IDP legal aid program, emphasized that the Forum is a communication platform where there is an opportunity to discuss the challenges that human rights organizations are currently facing.

"Senior lawyers of the R2P regional offices reviewed the critical points of certain legislative norms. This is important because it is our lawyers who are the carriers of this practice, and sometimes they create this practice. Our lawyers can already predict in which areas people will need legal assistance in the near future", - said Vitaliy Chornenkyy.

During their speeches, R2P Senior lawyers shared their experience in the issues that concern Ukrainians the most, namely:

• receiving compensation for damaged/destroyed property;

• pension provision for IDPs;

• ensuring the rights of children during martial law in Ukraine;

• receiving compensation for lost health, death of civilians as a result of hostilities.

"Ukraine Protection Consortium, with which our Foundation has been working for a year already, has become a powerful partner in organizing and holding the Forum. I am glad that other partners in the Consortium are here with us, with whom we are constantly exchanging experience, because the Consortium is a collaboration of capacities and opportunities to help vulnerable populations", - said Kateryna Zadoenko, R2P Project manager in the Ukraine Protection Consortium.

We thank all partners who were able to join the discussion. We are glad that in the current conditions we have the opportunity to exchange experience, because only in this way can we help everyone affected by the war in Ukraine even better!

The legal Forum was held within the framework of the project “Protecting lives with Integrated Multi-sector Assistance (UPC-PRIMA)” implemented by “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation as a partner of the Ukraine Protection Consortium coordinated by Save the Children. The program is implemented with the financial support of the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).