During the 12-year period from 1999 (when the UN Security Council first addressed the issue of protection of civilians) until 2010, the Council adopted 747 resolutions, of which at least 142 referenced displacement with almost one in five mentioning internal displacement. But there were major inconsistencies in the way in which displacement was considered in specific country situations. While half of all resolutions on Sudan, for example, make reference to internal displacement, less than 3% of resolutions on Liberia mention displacement even though virtually all of Liberia\u2019s 2.8 million people are estimated to have fled their homes at least once during the country\u2019s 14 years of conflict. Some 90% of the Council\u2019s 22 resolutions on Georgia refer to displacement while only one of the 32 Council resolutions on Somalia references displacement.<\/p>\n
Similar inconsistencies were found in the way the Council dealt with solutions to internal displacement. Over 100 of the 142 resolutions mentioning displacement refer implicitly to some aspect of durable solutions. But among the three solutions for IDPs \u2013 return, local integration and settlement elsewhere \u2013 return has attracted far and away the most interest; only two resolutions mention local integration and six refer to resettlement.<\/p>\n
Given the Security Council\u2019s preoccupation with peace and security, one might reasonably have expected it to devote greater attention to prevention of displacement than to operational issues around humanitarian assistance, and indeed preventing displacement is a key element of protecting civilians which has been a laudable focus of Security Council action for the past twelve years.<\/p>\n
And yet only 7 of the 142 Security Council resolutions referencing displacement refer to the prohibition against forced displacement \u2013 in contrast to 40 referencing humanitarian assistance and access. As forced displacement has been central to many conflicts, the fact that only four of the Security Council\u2019s country-specific resolutions refer to forced displacement is striking.<\/p>\n
Examples of resolutions in which the Security Council has addressed the prevention of displacement and which might provide guidance for future resolutions include:<\/p>\n
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It is very significant that S\/RES\/1807 (2008) [Democratic Republic of the Congo] talks of the application of targeted sanctions against those involved in forced displacement:<\/p>\n
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In addition in 2012 the UN Secretary-General reported to the Security Council on protection of civilians, offering it some recommendations on preventing displacement, including the possibility of referring situations to the International Criminal Court.<\/p>\n
The Security Council could be both more energetic and more consistent in addressing the issue of preventing displacement and in the future should, on a case-by-case basis, and as appropriate, consider emphasising the following issues in its resolutions:<\/p>\n
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While the UN Security Council\u2019s recognition of the importance of internal displacement over the last 12 years is laudable (if inconsistent), its limited attention to preventing displacement is a missed opportunity. By its own acknowledgement, the large-scale human suffering caused by displacement has implications for both future stability and further conflict. The Security Council should consistently remind states of their obligations to take all necessary measures to prevent displacement and respond to the immediate needs of, and find solutions for, those who are already displaced. More concerted and timely action by the Security Council in this regard would not only be welcome but could be considered a moral imperative.<\/p>\n
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Sanjula Weerasinghe<\/a> i<\/em>s a Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University\u2019s School of Foreign Service. Elizabeth Ferris<\/a> <\/em> is a Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement. <\/em>www.brookings.edu\/about\/projects\/idp<\/a><\/em><\/cite> This article is based on a study by the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement published in 2011.[3]<\/strong><\/a> In particular, the study analysed Security Council resolutions in terms of prevention of displacement, protection during displacement, humanitarian access and assistance, and durable solutions to displacement. <\/em><\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Principle 6 of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [2]<\/a> www.internal-displacement.org\/kampala-convention<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n [3]<\/a> Sanjula Weerasinghe and Elizabeth Ferris, Security Council, Internal Displacement and Protection: Recommendations for Strengthening Action through Resolutions, <\/em>www.brookings.edu\/research\/reports\/2011\/09\/security-council-resolutions-ferris<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During the 12-year period from 1999 (when the UN Security Council first addressed the issue of protection of civilians) until 2010, the Council adopted 747 resolutions, of which at least 142 referenced displacement with almost one in five mentioning internal displacement. But there were major inconsistencies in the way in which displacement was considered in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","fmr_themes":[],"fmr_region":[],"fmr_issue":[89],"fmr_year":[],"fmr_content_type":[27],"fmr_languages":[36],"fmr_list_years":[561],"class_list":["post-33863","fmr_content","type-fmr_content","status-publish","hentry","fmr_issue-89","fmr_content_type-article","fmr_languages-english","fmr_list_years-561","entry","no-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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