Suchergebnisse

Calls attention to efforts made by the Council of Europe to promote the Guiding Principles on internally displaced persons (IDPs), including the adoption of various recommendations/resolutions on such things as the education of IDPs in European countries. It is noted that all Council of Europe member states have consented to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as other Council of Europe instruments, including the under-used protection mechanism offered by the European Social Charter. The continuing gap between legislation & practice is discussed. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) which maintains that sovereign states must protect their people from mass atrocities & when they cannot or will not the responsibility falls to the broader community of states. The focus is on how linking R2P to the Guiding Principles would further the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Controversies surrounding past interventions are examined, along with important similarities/differences between the R2P & IDPs, including their basic purpose; concept of sovereignty; & the circumstances under which protection applies. Adapted from the source document.

Explores those situations in which adaptation is the only available & appropriate response to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that most successful adaptations involve marginal changes rather than fundamental alterations in location & development paths. The crucial role of state institutions & other political & socio-economic factors in preventing conflict & displacement in the context of climate change is discussed, along with the opportunity climate change provides for cooperation in addressing global issues. Adapted from the source document.

An examination of Guiding Principle 22, which upholds the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to vote & to participate in governmental/public affairs, notes the lack of universally accepted policies for implementation. Discriminatory limitations on the voting rights of IDPs are explored, along with recent precedents, programs, & initiatives aimed at including IDPs in electoral processes. Suggestions are offered for actions that would help to "articulate a clear set of IDP-specific standards on the human rights, operational & security issues associated with elections.". Adapted from the source document.

A case study of the impact of climate change on the pastoralist communities of northern Kenya notes that the dramatic increase in droughts has had a devastating impact on people's lives & almost one million have been forced to abandon pastoralism. New villages have appeared in northern Kenya that are hosting these environmental refugees who depend on emergency food aid. When people can no longer move to places that offer better opportunities they are forced to live on the periphery of urban centers as internally displaced people. Adapted from the source document.

Contends that access to medical care for HIV-positive refugees in Egypt is severely hindered by the stigma associated with the disease. The unique vulnerability of refugees to HIV is pointed out, along with attempts to avoid highlighting the risks for fear that governments would resist accepting refugees; & the unwillingness of countries already overburdened with HIV/AIDS to include refugees in their national AIDS policies. Efforts that have been made to remove discrimination & extend HIV/AIDS services to refugees are described. Adapted from the source document.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has conducted a survey to document the experiences of Burmese people living in border areas of Thailand and assess the degree to which they merit international protection as refugees. Adapted from the source document.

An examination of whether the Guiding Principles (GPs) have improved protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs) points out that recent legal developments have strengthened the law upon which the GPs are based & numerous treaties have been ratified by a growing number of states. In spite of these advances, implementation is often difficult to achieve. Most displacement is caused by unlawful behavior & could be prevented if there was universal respect for human rights & the existing rules of war. Adapted from the source document.

In a context where the durable solutions of repatriation and local integration are not available, resettlement has become increasingly attractive. Adapted from the source document.

A combination of historical trends, the changing policies of governments and renewed efforts by UNHCR have all begun to strengthen the potential of local integration as a lasting solution for refugees. Adapted from the source document.

Argues for a human rights approach to climate change-induced displacement. Good practice related to the right to adequate housing, land, & property for both persons returning to the homes from which they were displaced & those experiencing permanent, non-reversible displacement is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the need to develop adequate domestic & international institutional frameworks; expedite the evolution of international law; increase the Global Adaptation Fund that was established during the 2007 Bali meetings; & establish rights-based measures of land expropriation throughout the world. Adapted from the source document.

The participation of affected populations in planning or implementation of humanitarian aid in conflict or postconflict situations has too often been neglected. Adapted from the source document.

Most Chin refugees have never set foot in a refugee camp; they live as urban and undocumented refugees in India and Malaysia. Adapted from the source document.

The IDP voices Project tries to give some idea of the personal reality of the loss of close family members in conflict, the loss of all your belongings and being uprooted. Adapted from the source document.

Lists sources/resources related to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, including books on the legal framework; handbooks on how best to use the Principles; & inter-agency documents that describe standards & good practices. It is noted that the entire text of the Guiding Principles is available online in various languages, along with other web resources, including the site of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons which provides access to all documents related to the mandate & work of the Representative. Adapted from the source document.