Policies of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories: Models, Scenarios, Discussions, Experience : analytical repor
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Date
2021
Authors
Osypchuk, Anna
Suslov, Anton
Shulimov, Stanislav
Yakovlyev, Maksym
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
In this analytical report the team of authors from the School for Policy Analysis answer
the questions of what the gaps in the reintegration policies are, which policies are lacking,
or which policies have not been implemented despite previous recommendations; the field
for further research and study is narrowed down and positions of experts and public opinion
on different aspects and measures of reintegration policies as well as on alternative
steps and solutions are clarified.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have done significant work on reintegration. On the
one hand, the institutional groundwork for reintegration has been laid: a substantial legal
framework has been established (from strategic documents to procedures and regulations)
and the operation of key responsible bodies (from the relevant ministry to a special unit
in the Prosecutor General's Office) has been set up. On the other hand, the Ukrainian authorities
managed to achieve results in supporting internally displaced persons: they were
given the opportunity to vote in local elections, several housing acquiring programs were
created, preferential conditions for admission to higher education institutions were introduced,
and so on. An equally important component of the state's activity is the discussion
of sensitive issues of reintegration (especially in the area of transitional justice) with the
expert community and civil society. At the same time, the reintegration policy is complex
and therefore requires the accommodation of a large number of issues as well as further
steps and solutions, including:
- emphasis on the "fight for the people" as a fundamental principle and the core of the
policy of reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories. This includes both transitional
justice and measures to support internally displaced persons and young people
from the temporarily occupied territories, including compensations for lost property and
damage. The citizens of Ukraine who now live on the TOT should feel that they have not
been forgotten; that the state, as far as possible, cares for them and protects their rights;
that they are important to Ukraine.
- adherence to the principles of evidence-based policy. The policymaking and drafting
of all bills should be carried out in cooperation with relevant organizations and experts,
based on up-to-date survey data and research, and taking into account international experience,
including negative ones.
- critical analysis of international experience. It is important to approach international experience
not as ready-made solutions and model scenarios that may be borrowed, but as a
set of specific tools and measures that must be critically analyzed and applied considering
the specifics of our context. It is necessary not only to focus on best practices, but also to
analyze failures.
- taking into account both long-term goals and state / national interests, as well as public
opinion in policy making. It is necessary not to flirt with the population fueling populist
sentiments, but to build an effective communication policy, especially on such sensitive
issues of transitional justice as amnesty, lustration, and liability for one’s actions, etc.
- adoption of strategic documents on reintegration. First of all, these are the Strategies
for Reintegration and Information Policy for the Temporarily Occupied Territories until 2025 and Action Plans for their Implementation, the Information Security Strategy, the Foreign
Policy Strategy, and the regulatory framework for settling property issues in the temporarily
occupied territories. Ratification of the Rome Statute is also important.
- increasing the level of coordination between various state bodies that prepare policy
documents on reintegration policy. This includes coordinating and intensifying the efforts
of all state institutions to eliminate inconsistencies in existing regulations and laws.
- cooperation with civil society. There is a need for greater involvement of civil society into
working groups and expert discussions on the development of policies and laws related to
reintegration. To emphasize, it is civic and human rights organizations that systematically
form the agenda for the development and drafting of reintegration policies, actualize certain
issues for protection of rights and freedoms, and are a source of constant constructive
criticism for the government.
- advancing and completing already initiated institutional reforms. First, it is the decentralization
reform and reforms of law enforcement and judicial bodies as well as the
strengthening of defense capabilities. Successful and visible institutional reforms are an
additional argument for Ukraine in the process of reintegration and its "fight for people"
from the temporarily occupied territories.
Description
Keywords
reintegration policies, Ukrainian authorities, information policy, temporarily occupied territories, analytical report
Citation
Policies of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories: Models, Scenarios, Discussions, Experience : analytical report / Anna Osypchuk, Anton Suslov, Stanislav Shulimov, Maksym Yakovlyev ; School for Policy Analysis NaUKMA. - [Kyiv : s. n., 2021]. - 35 p.