Academic Scientific JournalsDriving Transformation in War-Related Housing, Land and Property Restitution: Innovations from the Ukraine - Russian War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/jpgs.2025.1.01Keywords:
armed conflict, land and property rights, financing restitution, lawAbstract
Large-scale housing, land and property (HLP) restitution efforts for war-displaced populations face ongoing limitations in three key areas: legal frameworks, financing, and technology. These limitations have led to critical problems in managing population return, reconstruction and political and economic recovery; with particular concern on the emergence of exploitive agendas and social unrest. Ukraine’s unfortunate war however presents the opportunity to examine significant advances in mitigating these limitations. Drawing on fieldwork in Ukraine and the author’s experience in 23 war-affected countries, the article describes, 1) the socio-legal context and legislative timing of Ukraine’s new Compensation Law; 2) the sources, monetization of HLP claims and remedies involved in financing restitution programmes; and 3) the restitution processing speed and social inclusion possible with Ukraine’s approach to use of technology.
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