Right to Protection Participated in the Central Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils

September 13, 2024

Nataliia Shevchenko, Head of Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi Regional Offices of R2P, together with Kateryna Mykhailenko, Local Advocacy Lawyer, and Olga Pogrebnaya, Monitoring Specialist, took part in the Central Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils, which took place on 11–12 September in Vinnytsia. Representatives of regional and local authorities from ten oblasts of Ukraine, members and heads of IDP Councils, as well as representatives of the public sector attended the event.

Nataliia Shevchenko was a speaker at the discussion panel, Hromadas of Resilience. How Cooperation between Local Authorities and the Public Sector Helps Overcome the Challenges of War.

Nataliia Shevchenko, Head of Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi Regional Offices of R2P

As the head of the Funds's regional offices, I shared my experience of cooperation and interaction with local and regional authorities. I spoke about quality communication and the need to work together to solve problems and support IDPs not only in crisis response but also to find long-term solutions. In particular, in the issue of integration into the hromadas of Vinnytska oblast. As a member of the IDP Council at the Vinnytsia Oblast State Administration, I am convinced that we need to work on coordinating IDP Councils across the oblast and create a network of such Councils. They should work as a single mechanism to achieve effective results

The Forum discussed the need to amend local policies and provide IDPs with housing. Representatives of IDP Councils shared their experience and effective mechanisms for overcoming challenges in each region.