International Colloquy on the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

The International Colloquy on the dissemination and promotion of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in Vienna, hosted by the Government of Austria and the Representative of the Secretary General for Internally Displaced Persons will be convened by the Project on 20-23 September 2000. Participants will be arriving from all regions of the world and include international legal experts; UN rapporteurs and representatives of UN treaty bodies; representatives of international humanitarian, human rights and development organizations; representatives of regional organizations; representatives of international and local NGOs and national human rights commissions; and experts from academic and research institutions.

The principal purpose of the seminar is to explore how best to promote the application of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The Principles, as you will recall, were developed under my direction, in response to a request by the U.N. General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights to develop an appropriate normative framework for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons. A team of international legal experts in consultation with a broad-based group from all parts of the world prepared the Principles, which were finalized at an Expert Consultation in Vienna in 1998, hosted by the Government of Austria.

Since the presentation of the Principles to the Commission on Human Rights and General Assembly, they appear to have gained considerable standing and visibility. The Seminar in Vienna will discuss how to build upon this progress and further promote the application of the Principles at the national, regional and international levels.