The Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of IDPs in Ukraine” (hereinafter “the Project”) is cooperating with the Ukrainian authorities and relevant partners to promote systemic mid-term and long-term responses. After the completion of the inception phase, the Project was launched in January 2016.

Ukraine has experienced immense internal displacement resulting in the registration of 1.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Crimea and the Donbas regions of eastern Ukraine. As part of the primary responsibility of the State for the protection of and assistance to IDPs, the Ukrainian authorities have the responsibility to take comprehensive action including introducing legislation, revising and streamlining necessary administrative procedures, and developing coordination and response mechanisms.

 

Such cooperation action is based on the principle of equal treatment and the recognition of the special needs of IDPs and affected vulnerable groups. Further recognition is given to the right of IDPs to choose to either return voluntarily and in dignity to their places of habitual residence or to resettle in a different part of the country, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as other Council of Europe and universal instruments.

The Project carries out cooperation activities both with central-level authorities, as well as with the regional state administrations in four regions with high numbers of displaced persons where tensions remain high. These are Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions. Due to the extensive number of national partners involved in the response to internal displacement, the Project counts up to 10 active partners, bringing them together in order to promote inter-agency cooperation and dialogue. Moreover, the Project prioritizes ensuring IDPs are represented among its experts, consultants and participants of its events, including displaced legal professionals and representatives of civil society.

 

Project Title «Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine»

Duration: 30 months (July 2015 – December 2017)

Funding: Voluntary Contribution

Overall objective: to strengthen the human rights protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine.

Specific objective 1:

Legislative and regulatory framework on IDPs: to contribute to the advancement of the legislative and regulatory framework for the human rights protection of IDPs in Ukraine, in line with European and universal standards.

Specific objective 2:

Implementation of the rights of IDPs and development of adequate procedures: to enhance the capacity of relevant authorities, civil servants, legal professionals, public health managers, NGOs and other stakeholders to effectively protect the rights of IDPs, including through better coordination, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups; and to improve access to remedies for IDPs whose rights may have been violated.

Specific objective 3:

Awareness-raising on the rights and needs of IDPs: to raise awareness among law and policy-makers, IDPs themselves, host communities, public officials and the general public on the situation of IDPs, their rights and difficulties to access those in practice.

Specific objective 4:

Integration and positive community relations: to promote the development of an integration policy for IDPs and support community-based IDP empowerment and integration initiatives, with a view to providing durable solutions.

Target groups: National law and policy-makers; national, regional and local authorities working on IDP issues; civil servants; lawyers; judges; public health managers; civil society organisations; and IDPs.

Final beneficiaries: IDPs and communities hosting IDPs.

Implementer: The Council of Europe Human Rights Policy and Development Department Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law.

1.    Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine
2.    Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine
3.    Ministry of Justice of Ukraine
4.    Office of the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Office of the Ombudsperson)
5.    Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations
6.    Coordination Center for Legal Aid Provision
7.    Donetsk Regional State Administration
8.    Luhansk Regional State Administration
9.    Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration
10.    Kyiv Regional State Administration
11.    Civil society organisations

 

Since Ukraine’s (hyperlink: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/ukraine) accession to the Council of Europe on 9 November 1995, one of the main objectives of co-operation activities has been to support the country in honouring its statutory obligations, and the commitments taken upon accession to the Council of Europe. However, beyond these statutory obligations, Ukraine freely undertook to fulfil a number of specific commitments in order to improve democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the country; these various obligations and commitments are laid out in PACE Opinion No. 190 (1995).

Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ukraine and the Council of Europe concerning the establishment in Ukraine of the Office of the Council of Europe and its legal status of 6 November 2006, the Parties resolved to facilitate further democratic development in Ukraine, in particular through full and efficient implementation of the Action Plan.

Status of co-operation

The Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017 (hyperlink: http://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016802f600e) was approved by the Committee of Ministers on 21 January 2015 and was launched by the Council of Europe Secretary General on 17 March 2015 in Kyiv. The Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017 is a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and Ukrainian authorities. The Action Plan reflects the priorities of the country, as well as issues identified in the most recent findings of Council of Europe’s monitoring bodies, resolutions and recommendations with respect to Ukraine. In addition, the Action Plan draws from both the Action Plan for Ukraine 2011-2014 and the Co-operation with Ukraine – Immediate Measures Package documents implemented in 2014. The Immediate Measures Package aimed to provide an immediate response to the Ukrainian crisis and to assist the country with addressing legislative and institutional challenges in areas of human rights, the rule of law and democratic governance which were not directly covered by the previous Council of Europe Action Plan.

The overall objective of the Action Plan is to support Ukraine to fulfil its statutory and specific obligations as a Council of Europe member state and to contribute to addressing fundamental issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Ukraine. The specific objectives of the Action Plan are to provide support in the following areas:

• Constitutional reform and functioning of democratic institutions;

• Reform of the judiciary;

• Democratic governance, notably decentralisation and amalgamation reforms;

• Economic crime;

• Human rights, notably in the areas of prevention of torture, ill-treatment and the fight against impunity; police and penitentiary reform; support to the Ombudsman; freedom of the media; protection of minorities; anti-discrimination; protection of social rights and children’s rights.

The total budget amounts to €45 million.

The Action Plan is implemented by the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, the Directorate General of Democracy, as well as by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. The Office of the Council of Europe in Kyiv co-ordinates the implementation of over 30 projects.

Projects in the Action Plan are funded from multiple sources and co-ordinated with the European Union delegation. Funding is provided from the Council of Europe’s ordinary budget as well as voluntary contributions from donor countries and international organisations, including the European Union/Council of Europe Eastern Partnership Programmatic Co-operation Framework for 2015-2017.

To facilitate contacts with Ukrainian authorities and other interlocutors the Secretary General has appointed a Special Advisor for Ukraine in July 2014 and a Special Advisor to the Government of Ukraine on Decentralisation in April 2016. The implementation of the Action Plan is co-ordinated with both Special Advisors.

Study in Ukraine

Conditions for entering Ukrainian universities  for children from NGCA and temporarily occupied territories
https://youtu.be/GEoQ8Wr-3b0

Study in Ukraine, Lilija Grynevych
Conditions for entering Ukrainian universities  for children from NGCA and temporarily occupied territories. Lilija Grynevych, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine
https://youtu.be/GuIBcSv9D_A

Study in Ukraine, Vadym Chernysh
Conditions for entering Ukrainian universities  for children from NGCA and temporarily occupied territories, Vadym Chernysh, Minister for Temporary Occupied Teritories  and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine
https://youtu.be/7iZgzZFn7QU

Kind people are everywhere! Friends

Kind people are everywhere! Friends

Stories of internally displaced persons by the little girl

https://youtu.be/pMJkxLNm300

Kind people are everywhere! Birthday

Stories of internally displaced persons by the young father

https://youtu.be/sSeVQG2-wi8

Program “Affordable Housing” for IDPs.

The State Specialized Financial Institution “State Fund for Youth Housing Assistance”

https://youtu.be/NlEXyuv6d04

Program “Affordable Housing” for IDPs.

Briefly about the program  “Affordable Housing”

https://youtu.be/NdmQLx417-g

 

Summer school on protection of the rights of IDPs

14-18 August 2017, the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” in the framework of cooperation with the Ministry of temporary occupied territories and internally displaced persons of Ukraine held a Summer School “Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Learning for common solutions”. Video contains subtitles in English.

https://youtu.be/G9VK3AL4riY

Learning for common solutions

About the Summer School “Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Learning for common solutions” in brief (14-18 August 2017). Video contains subtitles in English.

https://youtu.be/uhioKgeU0Bo

Human rights, integration and empowerment of IDPs

Activities of the grantees within the program “Human rights, integration and empowerment of IDPs in Ukraine: Affecting change at the regional and local level” in the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine”. Video contains subtitles in English.

https://youtu.be/MFaato4KxOs

In brief: Human rights, integration and empowerment of IDPs

In brief about activities of the grantees within the program “Human rights, integration and empowerment of IDPs in Ukraine: Affecting change at the regional and local level” in the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine”. Video contains subtitles in English.

https://youtu.be/8VSyd4H1pRE

“Complex promotion of human rights of internally displaced persons”

Reporting video of the Council of Europe Project "Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine"

https://youtu.be/ErbBdFXwaHA