Congress conference in Kyiv

Congress Strasbourg

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (the Congress) will discuss the voting rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at local level in Ukraine and the measures needed to ensure their electoral participation, at a conference on 27 February in Kyiv. The conference will be followed, on 28 February, by a workshop for local authorities on better inclusion and protection of IDPs, organised jointly with the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

Voting rights of IDPs in Ukraine as a positive factor for integration, legislative gaps, good practices in member states, as well as international safeguards and fraud prevention will be debated with a view to encouraging legislative changes and allowing IDPs to participate in local elections.

Representatives of the government, members of the Parliament, local and regional authorities, local NGOs, as well as national and international experts will take part in the discussions with Congress members. The discussions will also be based on the recent Congress report on Voting rights at local level: A factor in the long-term integration of IDPs and migrants.

The conference is organised as part of the Council of Europe projects “Strengthening democracy and building trust at local level in Ukraine” and “Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Building Solutions”, included in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2021.