Меню

The return of Ukrainians requires a coordinated policy involving the state, communities, partners, and the business sector: more than 70 organizations have endorsed this statement

July 9, 2026

The joint statement Recovery Starts With People: Integrating Return Policy into Ukraine’s Rights-Based, Human-Centred and Social Cohesion-Oriented Recovery and Protection Policy for War-Affected Populations prepared ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC 2026), was supported by 72 national and international organizations.

As a reminder, the statement was presented on June 24, 2026, during the official side event Rebuilding Ukraine Together — A Coordinated Approach to Return as a Strategic Driver of Economic Recovery and Demographic Resilience, which took place in Gdańsk as part of the URC 2026.

The event was organized by the Right to Protection, Caritas Ukraine, Mercy Corps, and People in Need, with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine.

The statement was prepared as a joint appeal by non-governmental organizations to Ukrainian authorities, international partners, local governments, and the business community to view the return of Ukrainians not only as a humanitarian issue, but as one of the key factors in economic recovery, demographic sustainability, and human capital development.

The full text of the position paper is available here.

The document emphasizes that the return of Ukrainians from abroad must be voluntary, safe, informed, and sustainable. Return policies must be based on human rights, the actual needs of the war-affected population, and the capacity of communities to ensure access to housing, employment, education, health care, and social services.

Separately, the authors emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation between the state, international partners, local authorities, the business sector, and civil society to create conditions under which people can not only return but also successfully reintegrate into community life.

We are sincerely grateful to all the organizations that have joined in supporting this statement. The wide support for the document underscores the importance of a people-centered and needs-based approach to shaping return policy and the need to integrate it into a broader strategy for Ukraine’s recovery.

Organizations that supported the joint statement:

Right to Protection CF

Right to Protection Representative Office, Poland

Mercy Corps 

NGO Donbas SOS 

Human Right Centre ZMINA

Crimean Human Rights Group 

Civil Holding GROUP OF INFLUENCE 

CF Stabilization Support Services 

CF EAST SOS 

Crisis insight 

NGO CRIMEASOS 

People in Need

International Charity Foundation “Caritas Ukraine”

“Camellia” Nonprofit Organization

Sustainable Development and Innovation Agency NGO 

University of Gdańsk 

“Women’s Format” Nonprofit Organization 

McGill University, Montreal, Canada 

IMPACT Initiatives 

Poltava regional Center of social services 

CO "Shchedryk"

Foundation Ukraine

HelpAge International Representative Office in Ukraine 

NGO “Ukrainian Institute of Career and Career Guidance”

 “All-Ukrainian Association of Organizations for People with Disabilities “The League of the Strong”

“STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP”

NGO "Headquarters of the future"

FOUNDATION “SOLETERRE STRATEGIE DI PACE ONLUS» IN UKRAINE 

International Charitable Organization “Roma Women’s Fund ‘Chirikli’”  

Agency Damo Radu

Outright International

Сharitable Foundation "BRAVE”

Charitable Organisation "Charitable Foundation "ROKADA" 

Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health

NGO International agency of change 

Legal Development Network 

ALL-UKRAINIAN PUBLIC ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE OF THE REPABLIC

ActionAid Eastern Europe 

BLAGOMAY Charitable Foundation 

Caritas Austria  

NGO “Zakarpattia-Donbas”  

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CHARITY FUND MEMORY 86

CO CF New Dawn

Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine  

Catholic Relief Services - Moldova and Ukraine Office

Caritas Europa  

KHMYLNYTSK DISTRICT PUBLIC ORGANIZATION “PRAVO”

Cordaid  

The HALO Trust Ukraine 

Public Organization “Proliska”  

Public Organization "Architects of Resilience"

LEVITA

Ingulets District Veterans’ Organization of Kryvyi Rih 

NGO "Ternuvate NEXT"

“CENTER FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP ‘CONFIDENCE’”

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “CHARITABLE FOUNDATION “RESCUE NOW

Public Organization "All-Ukrainian Public Movement of Mothers and Relatives of Participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation "Berehynia" 

HGO “Future of Ochakiv”

CIVIC ORGANIZATION "THE TENTH OF APRIL"

Charitable Organization "Charitable Fundation "LIFE"

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development 

 NGO "Friends are nearby"

Civic organization “Is Harmony”

Non-Governmental Organization "Desnianska League of Naturalists"

''CENTER FOR ACCESS TO RIGHTS''

 NGO "Educational аssistance"

Specialist Policing Consultancy Ltd 

Public Organization “Youth Online”

Charitable Organization Charitable Foundation “Help Ukraine. Donbas” 

Non-governmental organization “Parents’ voice”

Non-governmental organization "Separate division of the "Kherson Regional League of Social 

Public Organization “We Are Nearby” – Support for People with Autism