Internally Displaced Persons

Internally displaced people (IDPs) have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they stay within their own country and remain under the protection of their government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement. They often move to areas where it is difficult to even deliver humanitarian assistance, and are among the most vulnerable in the world. 

The "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement", although not legally binding, are the main instrument specifically dealing with internally displaced persons (IDPs). They restate and compile human rights and humanitarian law relevant to internally displaced persons. Below is an overview of international human rights and humanitarian law standards that are applicable to IDPs. 

Principles

• African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa ("Kampala Convention"), African Union, 22 October 2009  
• Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region), 30 November 2006 
• Protocol on the Property Rights of Returning Persons (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region), 30 November 2006 

ExCom Conclusions 

• No. 113 (LXVII): Youth (2016) 
• No. 112 (LXVII): Internal Cooperation from a Protection and Solutions Perspective 2016
• No. 108 (LIX): General Conclusion on International Protection (2008) 
• No. 75 (XLV): Internally Displaced Persons (1994) 

Standing Committee Documents 

• Real-time Evaluations of UNHCR's Involvement in Operations for Internally Displaced Persons and the Cluster Approach: Analysis of Findings, EC/58/SC/CRP.23, 29 August 2007  
• UNHCR's Role in Support of an Enhanced Humanitarian Response to Situations of Internal Displacement. Policy Framework and Implementation Strategy, EC/58/SC/CRP.18, 4 June 2007  
• UNHCR's Role in Support of an Enhanced Humanitarian Response to Situations of Internal Displacement: Update on UNHCR's Leadership Role Within the Cluster Approach and IDP Operational Workplans, 25 May 2007 
• UNHCR's Expanded Role in Support of the Inter-Agency Response to Internal Displacement Situations, EC/57/SC/CRP.18, 8 June 2006 

UNHCR 

• Policy on UNHCR's Engagement in Situations of Internal Displacement, 18 September 2019 
• Guidance Package for UNHCR's Engagement in Situations of Internal Displacement, September 2019 
• Durable Solutions: Preliminary Operational Guide, January 2016 
• The Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and the Role of UNHCR, 27 February 2007 
• UNHCR's Role in IASC Humanitarian Reform Initiatives and in the Strengthening of the Inter-Agency Collaborative Response to Internally Displaced Persons Situations, 20 September 2005 
• UNHCR's Operational Experience With Internally Displaced Persons, September 1994 

Other 

• Durable Solutions in Practice, September 2017, Global Protection Cluster, September 2017 
• Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Walter Kälin : addendum : high-level conference on "Ten years of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement - achievements and future challenges" (Oslo, 16 and 17 October 2008): summary of the Conference Chair, UN Human Rights Council, A/HRC/10/13/Add.3, 11 February 2009 
• Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Walter Kälin, UN Human Rights Council, A/HRC/4/38, 3 January 2007, as well as Add.1: Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters, UN Human Rights Council, A/HRC/4/38/Add.1, 23 January 2006

UNHCR 

• Tearing Down the Walls: Confronting the Barriers to Internally Displaced Women & Girls' Participation in Humanitarian Settings, 8 May 2019.
• Making Arbitrary Displacement a Crime: Law and Practice, March 2022  
• Bridging the Divide in Approaches to Conflict and Disaster Displacement, November 2021
• Global Report on Law and Policy on Internal Displacement: Implementing National Responsibility  

Other 

• Special Issue on Ten Years of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (GP10), Refugees Studies Centre, December 2008
• Protracted Displacement, Refugees Studies Centre, September 2009

UNHCR

• Handbook on Internal Displacement for National Human Rights Institutions, 2022 
• Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons, Global Protection Cluster Working Group, June 2010

Other 

• Protecting Internally Displaced Persons: A Manual for Law and Policymakers, Brookings, October 2008 

Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region), 30 November 2006

Protocol on the Property Rights of Returning Persons (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region), 30 November 2006

Refworld 

• UNHCR Protection Manual, Section I: Internally Displaced Persons
• All reports relating to IDPs by all sources 
• All national legislation relating to IDPs 
• All reports of the UN General Assembly relating to IDPs 
• All reports of the UN Human Rights Council relating to IDPs 
• All reports of the UN Commission on Human Rights relating to IDPs 

UNHCR 

• UNHCR's webpage on internally displaced people 

Tools 

• Handbook for Parliamentarians - Internal Displacement: Responsibility and Action, 2013 

Other Research and Reports

• Consistent and Predictable Responses to IDPs. A Review of UNHCR's Decision-Making Processes, EPAU/2005/2, March 2005 
• UNHCR's Expanded Role in Support of the Inter-Agency Response to Internal Displacement: Report of a lessons learned and effective practices workshop, PDES/2006/06, November 2006

Other Policy Documents

• Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), 2016 
• Framework on Durable Solutions for IDPs , Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), April 2010 

Websites 

• Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster 
• Global Database on IDP Laws and Policies 
• Global Protection Cluster 
• Global Shelter Cluster 
• Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)  
• Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 
• Multi-stakeholder Plan of Action for Advancing Prevention, Protection and Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (GP20) 
• Office of the Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement 
• ReliefWeb Response 
• Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons 
• International Standards, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons 

Documents 

• Manual on internal displacement for justice operators, Supreme Court of Mexico, UNHCR, ICRC, 2022

• Disaster displacement: How to reduce risk, address impacts and strengthen resilience, 2019  

• Protocol 1. Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation: Definition and Procedures, IASC, 13 November 2018 

• Internally Displaced Persons and International Humanitarian Law: Factsheet, ICRC, December 2017  

• National Instruments on Internal Displacement: A Guide to their Development, August 2013 

• Integrating Internal Displacement in Peace Processes and Agreements, 2010 

• Protecting Internally Displaced Persons: A Manual for Law and Policymakers, October 2008   

• Global Report on Law and Policy on Internal Displacement: Implementing National Responsibility  

• Integrating Internal Displacement in Peace Processes and Agreements, 2010