With the support of the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”, a strategic session was held in Rivne with the participation of the Coordination Council on Internally Displaced Persons under the Executive Committee of the Rivne City Council. Participants identified priorities, goals, and tools to strengthen support for internally displaced people in the community.
The event brought together council members, local authorities, and partners to develop a shared vision for growth, and to define the mission, vision, values, and strategic objectives of the Council for 2026–2027.
“This strategic session became a turning point for rethinking the role of the IDP Council—from responding to requests to shaping solutions and influencing local policy. We clearly identified priorities: employment, housing, access to information, and the adaptation of IDPs—and translated them into concrete steps.
For us, it is important to be an effective instrument through which challenges are transformed into solutions in cooperation with local authorities and partners. This means systematically representing the interests of IDPs, initiating change, and supporting it through to practical results,” emphasized Natalia Rusakova, Head of the Coordination Council on IDPs under the Executive Committee of the Rivne City Council.
Over the course of two days, participants reviewed the Council’s previous activities, conducted a SWOT analysis, discussed the current needs of people who were forced to leave their homes due to the war, and examined the Council’s role in addressing these needs. As a result, a strategy and operational plan were developed, key performance indicators were defined, and next steps were outlined.
“The Coordination Council on IDPs under the Executive Committee of the Rivne City Council has proven that it can be a real force in shaping decisions. The strategic session marked a step toward the systemic integration of displaced people into the community, as we jointly defined priorities that will help make the lives of IDPs more secure and dignified,” said Olha Melnyk, Regional Coordinator of the Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services in Rivnenska Oblast.
The IDP Council serves as a mechanism for structured interaction between internally displaced people, local authorities, and the community. Its work focuses on representing the interests of IDPs, developing solutions, and strengthening policies that respond to the real challenges faced by new community members. Council members work on a voluntary basis, combining their own experience and expertise.
“The next step is implementation: launching working groups, developing an action plan, and ensuring systematic monitoring. Our task is to make sure the strategy works in practice and delivers tangible results for IDPs in the community. We would also like to thank the Charity Foundation Stabilization Support Services for organizing the strategic session and providing high-quality facilitation, which allowed us to structure our work and strengthen the Council’s strategic approach,” added Natalia Rusakova.
The charitable organization “Charity Foundation ‘Stabilization Support Services’” supports the IDP Councils within the framework of the project “Support to the Capacity of Government Institutions and Local Hromadas to Strengthen Social Protection Systems in Ukraine,” with the support of UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
This publication was made with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine. The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of the Charitable Organization “Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and does not reflect the views of UNHCR.