On 20 April 2016, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to establish the Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the Resolution establishing the Ministry in order to address the need to respond quickly to problems and threats stemming from the antiterrorist operation in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as well as from temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Existing institutions, whose activities target recovery and peacebuilding in eastern Ukraine as well as reintegration of occupied Ukrainian territories, were unable to fully perform their tasks and functions due to insufficient powers.
Therefore, it was necessary to consider creation of a public authority responsible for shaping and implementation of public policy on recovery and peacebuilding in areas affected by the conflict and on reintegration of temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Having the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs of Ukraine established, through merger of the State Agency of Ukraine for Recovery of Donbas and the State Service of Ukraine on the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, will enable shaping and implementation of the respective policy with a view to respond adequately to present threats and challenges, while also allowing to take necessary actions to neutralize them.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine made the first step to establish this body by adopting Resolution № 1097-VIII «On Formation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine" of 14 April 2016, thereunder appointing Vadym Chernysh the Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs of Ukraine.
The next step towards achieving the established goal was to establish the relevant Ministry.