On 27-28 July the Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons” organized a study visit with the purpose to focus on the Council of Europe standards on internal displacement, especially, relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
In two days visit to Strasbourg a wide range of experts took part. In particular, the senior managers and specialists of the central executive bodies (Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Ministry for Regional Development, Building and Housing of Ukraine, Department of Representation of the Government in Interstate Cases, Office of the Government Agent before the European Court of Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine); representatives of Kyiv Regional State Administration; coordinators of the leading national civil society organizations (“Сrimea SOS”, “CH “Right to Protection”, “Donbas SOS”, “Donbas reconstruction and development Agency”); researches of legal sciences educational institutions (Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, International Humanitarian Institute, Scientific Research Institute of State Building and Local Government of the National Academy of Legal Sciences, National School of Judges of Ukraine); judges, free legal aid providers and other key partners of the Project.
Ukrainian delegation had a possibility to get acquainted with the Council of Europe institutions in different ways addressing the issues of internal displacement in Ukraine, such as, the European Court of Human Rights, the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, Commissioner for Human Rights and the Pompidou Group.
During the visit, participants got acquainted with the recent developments of the Project within the European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP).
Thus, an online course on internal displacement has been developed. Participants provided comments regarding its adaptation to Ukrainian realities and further dissemination. Autumn this year, the Project plans to finalize the content of the course and start to work on its further implementation.
The study visit provided a space for discussions on governmental policies on IDPs in the Council of Europe member states, practical application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter towards internally displaced persons.
During the visit the Project facilitated further cooperation and partnership between participants as well as encouraged critical questions to its own activities.