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Friday November 20, 2009

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In Focus: South Ossetia


Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili - A boy stands in a tent in a refugee camp in Gori.

Save to My Portfolio Displaced from Ossetia Conflict Need More Pragmatism, Less Politics, Says U.N. Representative

At the end of his visit to South Ossetia, Walter Kälin, the Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (RSG), noted that, "More pragmatism and less politics are needed to improve the situation of the displaced." For those still displaced in South Ossetia, more work remains to be done to help them find a durable solution to their displacement, which for some has lasted since the early 1990s. Read More

In Focus: African Union


Reuters/Noor Khamis - A woman holds her two children outside her tent in Nakuru's Gicheha farm, west of Nairobi.

Save to My Portfolio African Union Convention on Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons

Walter Kälin, October 23, 2009

Forced displacement is a devastating experience that often takes years or even decades to recover from. Africa hosts the worlds largest population of internally displaced persons and, as Walter Kälin points out, has taken the initiative to go beyond the existing state of law by creating the first binding international law on internally displaced persons. Read More

Africa, Internal Displacement, International Organizations, Human Rights, Global Governance

In Focus: Internal Displacement


Reuters/Akhtar Soomro - A boy, who was fleeing a military offensive against Taliban militants in South Waziristan, stands waiting for his family at a registration point for IDPs in Dera Ismail Khan.

Save to My Portfolio The Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

Walter Kälin, October 26, 2009

Since 2004 there have been encouraging trends related to internal displacement. Walter Kälin notes that the use of the Guiding Principles as the relevant framework for protecting IDPs and the development of national and regional laws and policies on internal displacement have been positive trends. However, despite such positive trends, the challenges presented by climate change, the disregard for civilian populations in conflict zones, a shrinking humanitarian space, and protracted displacement situations still remain unchanged. Read More

Internal Displacement, Human Rights, United Nations, Climate Change, Natural Disasters

In Focus: African Union


Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly - Women walk through the town of Nasir in southeastern Sudan.

Save to My Portfolio AU Convention "A Beacon of Hope for 12 Million Africans," Says UN Representative

"I truly welcome the adoption of the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa," the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Walter Kalin, said today. "It is a tremendous achievement and a beacon of hope for the over 12 million people in Africa internally displaced by conflict and natural disasters." Read More

In Focus: Africa


Reuters/Zohra Bensemra - A displaced Sudanese girl who just arrived from Muhajirya stands next to her family's belongings in Otash IDP camp in Nyala.

Save to My Portfolio An African Solution to Internal Displacement: AU Leaders Agree to Landmark Convention

Andrew Solomon, October 23, 2009

Decades of armed conflict, natural disasters and climate change, have given rise to sizable populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout Africa. On October 23, African heads of state and government signed a legally binding convention on internal displacement, which as Andrew Solomon notes, demonstrates their commitment to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of IDPs, to facilitate durable solutions and to ensure that millions of people are no longer excluded from society as a whole. Read More

Africa, Internal Displacement, International Organizations, Human Rights, Sudan

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