Outcomes of the Extended Meeting of the Commission on January 15, 2025

Published on 16 January 2025, at 14:45

On January 15, 2025, the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Protection of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) held its first extended meeting of the year. The main topics of discussion included the implementation status of the Operational Action Plan for the State Policy Strategy on Internal Displacement for 2023–2025 and the experimental project of rent subsidies for IDPs initiated by the Ministry of Social Policy.

 

The meeting took place against the backdrop of significant government reforms: the Ministry of Reintegration was renamed the Ministry of National Unity, while its functions related to IDPs were transferred to the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.

Chairman of the Commission, Pavlo Frolov, emphasized the importance of transparent and regular government reporting on the implementation of the State Policy Strategy on Internal Displacement. He stressed that the reform of ministries should not delay the resolution of critical issues faced by IDPs.

 

Key Discussions

Members of the Commission criticized the executive authorities for the lack of concrete measures to address IDP employment issues.

They also raised several pointed questions to representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, particularly regarding Order No. 1112, which regulates access to education, and highlighted the need to improve the regulatory framework.

Olga Altunina, Representative of the Ombudsman for the Rights of Citizens Affected by the Armed Aggression against Ukraine, called for the immediate approval of rules for admission to higher education institutions. She warned that the lack of clarity in this area risks losing potential students from temporarily occupied territories.

 

The Commission also discussed the experimental rent subsidy project for IDPs proposed by the Ministry of Social Policy. Members identified several risks, including the short-term nature of support, bureaucratic burdens for landlords, and the low level of awareness among IDPs about the program's opportunities. The Minister of Social Policy, Oksana Zholnovych, was advised to address these shortcomings to ensure the project's effectiveness.

 

Commission’s Decisions

The Commission declared the work of the executive authorities insufficient and issued the following recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers:

-         update the Operational Action Plan to reflect legislative changes and emerging challenges;

-         begin developing a new State Policy Strategy on Internal Displacement with the involvement of all stakeholders;

-         introduce a systematic and periodic assessment of IDPs’ needs.

Next Steps

The Commission’s decisions from the January 15, 2025, meeting can be found in the Decisions section.

The Commission remains committed to developing effective state policies to protect the rights and address the needs of internally displaced persons and other individuals affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.