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1. Innovative Global Governance for Internally Displaced Persons

Author:
Walter Kölin
Publication Date:
04-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
The number of internally displaced persons is at a record high, with most living in protracted displacement. While the humanitarian response in emergency situations is more effective than a decade ago, overall governance — the set of norms, institutions and processes necessary to address internal displacement — remains weak. Using the 1998 UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as the normative point of reference, this paper addresses several questions: What governance gaps and challenges exist in responses to internal displacement? Are there promising new approaches to internal displacement? How can we build on these approaches to make responses more reliable and effective?
Topic:
Governance, Displacement, Humanitarian Crisis, and Internal Displacement
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Where Do Internally Displaced People Live and What Does that Mean for Their Economic Integration?

Author:
Cindy Huang and Jimmy Graham
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development
Abstract:
There are over 68.5 million forcibly displaced people in the world, including about 40 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have moved because of conflict, including political, communal, and criminal violence.[i] There are millions more IDPs who have been displaced by other drivers, including disasters, economic instability, and development projects such as infrastructure construction. These IDPs, 99 percent of whom are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), face severe economic challenges as a result of displacement.[1] To help them overcome these challenges, policymakers should focus on helping IDPs achieve greater self-reliance. The best approach to doing so will depend in large part upon the context—particularly the extent to which IDP populations are based in urban or rural areas. Our analysis shows that about half of IDPs in LMICs are in urban areas, that the composition varies significantly across countries, and that there is a substantial lack of IDP location data.
Topic:
Displacement, Urban, Rural, Internal Displacement, and Economic Integration
Political Geography:
Global Focus

3. How Urban are IDPs and What Does that Mean for Their Economic Integration?

Author:
Cindy Huang and Jimmy Graham
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development
Abstract:
As of December 2017, there were over 68.5 million forcibly displaced people in the world, including about 40 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) displaced by conflict.[1] Millions more were displaced internally by other drivers, including disasters, economic instability, and development projects such as infrastructure construction.[2] IDPs face severe economic challenges as a result of their displacement, with harmful impacts on consumption, health, education, security, housing, labor conditions, and social outcomes.[3] They face these challenges for long periods of time: IDPs often spend many years or even decades displaced.[4] And for displaced women and girls—who face unique challenges ranging from legal restrictions on owning property to larger wage reductions following displacement—the economic challenges can be even greater.[5] Furthermore, IDPs tend to be disproportionately located in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): over 99 percent of the world’s IDPs displaced by conflict are in LMICs. Within these countries, populations in more marginalized areas are often more severely affected by displacement.[6] Thus, those who are displaced tend to face greater economic difficulties to begin with and displacement only compounds these difficulties.
Topic:
Displacement, Urban, Internal Displacement, and Economic Integration
Political Geography:
Global Focus

4. The Return of Internally Displaced Persons: Patterns, Possibilities and Gaps in Knowledge

Author:
Megan Bradley
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
• An estimated 41.3 million people are internally displaced worldwide, constituting 60% of those displaced by conflict. Though low for both groups, rates of return are higher among IDPs than refugees, with an estimated 16% returning to their areas of origin in 2016. Return of IDPs largely occurs outside of official programs or with minimal support. The lack of available data makes it unclear whether return functions as a durable solution for IDPs. • In national laws and policies, return is often presented as the “preferred” approach to resolving displacement, although IDPs have the right to choose alternate durable solutions such as local integration. Important normative developments help clarify when return represents a durable solution for IDPs. Debates are ongoing on what respect for the right of return requires in cases of internal displacement. • More attention is needed to returns in the context of ongoing conflict, the relationship between refugee repatriation and internal displacement, and the risk that returning refugees may become IDPs. Greater international support should be devoted to return movements, taking into account returnees’ own strategies and perspectives.
Topic:
Migration, Refugees, and Internal Displacement
Political Geography:
Global Focus

5. The Return of Internally Displaced Persons: Patterns, Possibilities and Gaps in Knowledge

Author:
Megan Bradley
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
• An estimated 41.3 million people are internally displaced worldwide, constituting 60% of those displaced by conflict. Though low for both groups, rates of return are higher among IDPs than refugees, with an estimated 16% returning to their areas of origin in 2016. Return of IDPs largely occurs outside of official programs or with minimal support. The lack of available data makes it unclear whether return functions as a durable solution for IDPs. • In national laws and policies, return is often presented as the “preferred” approach to resolving displacement, although IDPs have the right to choose alternate durable solutions such as local integration. Important normative developments help clarify when return represents a durable solution for IDPs. Debates are ongoing on what respect for the right of return requires in cases of internal displacement. • More attention is needed to returns in the context of ongoing conflict, the relationship between refugee repatriation and internal displacement, and the risk that returning refugees may become IDPs. Greater international support should be devoted to return movements, taking into account returnees’ own strategies and perspectives.
Topic:
Migration, Refugees, and Internal Displacement
Political Geography:
Global Focus