Findings from my country missions around the world, in my capacity as Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, underscore the degree to which the expectation of internal protection by states for IDPs is, for the most part,…
The region of Latin America and the Caribbean has long demonstrated hospitality towards those fleeing conflict and persecution within the region and further afield. Faced with newer causes of displacement, such as the violence of organised criminal gangs and the…
It is estimated that there are currently some 25 million people internally displaced in over 50 countries(1). This represents an increase from 20 million in 1997 and 1.2 million in 1982. There are almost twice as many IDPs as refugees.…
In May 2004, following protracted talks in the Kenyan city of Naivasha brokered by the Intergovernmental Organisation on Development (IGAD)(1), the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a protocol which is expected to lead…
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s UNHCR found itself increasingly challenged to ensure the sustainability of returns with regard to the extent and timeframe of its engagement in repatriation and resettlement. This led to the recognition that more effective sustainable reintegration…
Property restitution touches on all aspects related to successful return: protection, law and order, reconciliation and peace building, restoration of livelihoods, strengthening of local institutional capacity and, ultimately, the chance to bury past conflict and working towards a peaceful future.…
Legally, the right to post-conflict property restitution derives from two independent rationales. The most commonly cited rationale is the 'right of return' whereby refugees and IDPs are entitled to return voluntarily not only to their country but to their actual…
Mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) do not recognise cease-fires and peace agreements and pose serious obstacles to the safe return and reintegration of refugees and IDPs. Agencies providing assistance to refugees and IDPs have not always demonstrated the necessary awareness…
The Office of the High Representative (OHR)(1) administers BiH. BiH is divided into two equal-sized entities, the Republika Srpska (which forms a semi-circular shape around the north and east) and the Federation (mostly populated by Croats and Muslims), both of…
