Mariupol City Council presented its experience in supporting IDPs at the III All-Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils

The III All-Ukrainian Forum of IDP Councils, held in Kyiv, brought together representatives of IDP councils from across the country. Mariupol was represented by Oleksandr Khalyavinskyi, Deputy Head of the IDP Council at the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, who introduced the key areas of support for Mariupol residents.

During the discussions, he presented the work of the of "I'Mariupol" centres’ network. Mr. Khalyavinsky also spoke about the results and effectiveness of projects implemented by the Mariupol City Council and important initiatives by Mayor Vadym Boichenko.

On the sidelines of the forum, he had the opportunity to talk to Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the President's Office. Ms. Vereshchuk noted the systematic work of the Mariupol City Council, thanked Mayor Vadym Boichenko for his active part in the coordination headquarters for IDP support, and mentioned Mariupol's experience as an example of quality assistance to displaced persons. 

She had previously visited a social housing facility in Dnipro, created by the Mariupol municipality and partners, and emphasised the need to scale up this project.

The forum focused on key topics: creating decent living conditions for IDPs, integrating displaced persons into communities, the role of IDPs in shaping local policy, financial sustainability of communities, support for relocated businesses, and development of economic integration.

Colleagues and international partners highlighted that the Mariupol City Council and the "Mariupol" team set an example of systematic, consistent and effective support for displaced persons throughout Ukraine.

The event was organised by the CF "Stabilisation Support Services" in partnership with the Ministry for Community Development, with support of UNHCR Ukraine and IREX.