On October 22, 2025, Odesa hosted a forum that brought together internally displaced persons from the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
The purpose of the event was to discuss the challenges faced by displaced persons and to establish effective collaboration between local governments, state structures, and the internally displaced individuals themselves.
Among the participants were acting deputy mayor of Odesa, Serhiy Kotsyuba, and the director of the Department of Labor and Social Policy of the Odesa City Council, Olena Kytainska.
Welcoming remarks were made by the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Iryna Vereshchuk, and the head of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the protection of the rights of IDPs, Pavlo Frolov.
During the panel discussions, representatives of IDP councils shared their experiences, successful cases, and developments in the area of legal and social protection for displaced persons. The importance of involving the displaced persons in decision-making processes related to their lives in new communities was emphasized.
An online platform called “IDP Councils Portal” was also presented https://radyvpo.org.ua/. The portal features: an interactive map of IDP councils, current news, analytical materials, relevant legislation, and practical tools for effective council operations.
Note
Currently, there are over 220,000 registered internally displaced persons in the Odesa region, with 134,500 registered at the district social protection offices of the Odesa City Council.
