In 1992 the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) authorised the UN Secretary-General to appoint a representative on the issue of internal displacement. The mandate was to explore “views and information from all Governments on the human rights issues related to…
The short answer to this is yes. The more accurate answer is yes – in the last year or so, in quite dramatic terms – but with some way still to go. The sorts of deficiencies identified by Cohen and…
During the past year UNHCR has made a clear commitment to be a more predictable partner among humanitarian actors in its response to the protection, assistance and solutions needs of IDPs. UNHCR’s policy concerning engagement with IDPs has evolved from…
To fill this gap and support the goals of the Global Protection Cluster[1], an inter-agency Protection Capacity (ProCap) project has been developed to respond to gaps and needs in protection response in three priority areas: · providing surge protection capacity…
During conflict, flight and displacement, women and children are at heightened risk. They are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Women and girls are often the systematic target of sexual violence, have special health needs that are often neglected and…
A few governments have registered IDPs in a comprehensive manner, most recently the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina with support from UNHCR. In Turkey the government is expected to release the results of a comprehensive IDP survey soon. However, for…
Discrimination against minorities, religious and ethnic hatred, state repression, demands for self-determination, famines, floods and ill-conceived development projects have contributed to massive internal displacement in South Asia. For the most part victims are unable to cross borders and are forced…
Internal displacement is a major obstacle to development in Sri Lanka. At times up to two million have been displaced. The current number of IDPs – the long-term displaced and those recently displaced both by the tsunami and the resumption…
Colombia’s internal armed conflict is the longest running in Latin America, a complex conflict which has been fought primarily between left-wing guerrillas and Colombian armed forces and right-wing paramilitaries but also involving drug traffickers, landowners and other legal and illegal…
Roberta believes that the distinctions between refugees and IDPs are arbitrary and argues for parity between them. I contend there are substantial legal and material differences arising from the configuration of the international system based on states. While Roberta strongly…