Internal displacement: Lessons learned after 20 years and challenges ahead

Friday, June 26, 2015

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm EDT

Brookings Institution

Falk Auditorium

1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC
20036

On June 26, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement hosted a culminating event to look back on over 20 years of ground-breaking accomplishments and identify future challenges for working on issues of internal displacement. This is a remarkable story of how international law was made and the humanitarian world changed through the collaboration between an independent U.N. expert and a U.S. think-tank, supported by international lawyers, governments, NGOs, and academics. Speakers included key actors in putting internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the international agenda, including Francis Deng, Walter Kälin, and many others.

Martin Indyk, executive vice president of the Brookings Institution, provided opening remarks. Roberta Cohen, nonresident senior fellow and founding co-director of the Project on Internal Displacement moderated the first panel and Elizabeth Ferris, senior fellow and co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, moderated the second panel.

Join the conversation on Twitter using #IDPLessons

Internal displacement: Lessons learned after 20 years and challenges ahead

Panel 1: What lessons can be drawn from the work of the U.N. special rapporteur and the Brookings project over the past 22 years?

Roberta Cohen Walter Kälin Robert Goldman Susan Martin Shelley Pitterman

Panel 2: What are the principal challenges facing IDPs in the years ahead?

Elizabeth Ferris Joel Charny Niels Harild Hansjoerg Strohmeyer Alfredo Zamudio

Agenda

June 26
- Opening remarks
  
  Martin S. Indyk Former Brookings Expert, Distinguished Fellow - The Council on Foreign Relations @Martin_Indyk
- Panel 1: What lessons can be drawn from the work of the U.N. special rapporteur and the Brookings project over the past 22 years?
  
  2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
  
  RG
  
  Robert Goldman Professor of Law - American University, Washington College of Law
  
  SFM
  
  Susan F. Martin
  
  SP
  
  Shelly Pitterman Regional Representative - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- Panel 2: What are the principal challenges facing IDPs in the years ahead?
  
  4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
  
  Joel R. Charny Director - Norwegian Refugee Council USA
  
  NH
  
  Niels Harild Displacement Development Specialist - The World Bank
  
  HS
  
  Hansjoerg Strohmeyer Policy Director - U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  
  AZ
  
  Alfredo Zamudio Director - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre