From the editors
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…
Making return and reintegration sustainable, transparent and participatory
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.…
Protection and support of spontaneously returning Sudanese
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…
The 4Rs: the way ahead?
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…
Restitution of land and property rights
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.…
Post-conflict property restitution in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina: legal rationale and practical implementation
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…
Protecting displaced population from landmines – a call for joint action
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…
From emergency to development: assessing UNDP’s role in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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…
Learning lessons from IDP resettlement: villagisation in north-west Rwanda
Following the rapid return to Rwanda of over one million refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the end of 1996, soldiers who had been responsible for genocide launched an insurgency in northwest Rwanda. The Rwandan army used…