Noting the increasing dissemination, promotion and application of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement when dealing with situations of internal displacement,

In Colombia, internal displacement affected more than 2 million people.

This includes effectively addressing the protection challenges posed by internal displacement.

These principles provide a normative framework covering situations of internal displacement.

Among others, they include disseminating the normative standards on internal displacement and promoting their use by Governments, international organizations and non governmental organizations training of United Nations staff members on internal displacement monitoring problems of internal displacement and establishing an institutional framework that could effectively promote and protect the human rights of IDPs.

The Inter Agency Internal Displacement Division continued to promote system wide improvements in response to internal displacement, including through the strengthening of the collaborative approach, and the provision of technical support to country specific displacement situations, placing particular emphasis on coordination, protection and return issues.

The United Nations agencies must seek to determine the underlying causes of internal displacement.

Addressing the situations of internal displacement placed a premium on partnerships, namely with NGOs.

See W. Courtland Robinson, Risks and Rights The Causes, Consequences and Challenges of Development Induced Displacement (Brookings SAIS Project on Internal Displacement, 2003), p. 3.

42. There have been three major waves of internal displacement due to violence in Peru

Internal displacement in Mozambique resulted from the protracted internal conflict which ravaged the country for almost 16 years, compounded by drought and natural disasters.

Decides to continue its consideration of the question of internal displacement at its sixty second session.

In September 2005, the Project on Internal Displacement, in conjunction with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, sponsored an inaugural course entitled The law of internal displacement in San Remo, Italy, for policymakers and practitioners from around the world.

First, with respect to internal displacement, we were deeply concerned over several recent instances in which armed groups deliberately used displacement as a means of exploiting civilian populations.

Expresses its appreciation of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as an important tool for dealing with situations of internal displacement, welcomes the fact that an increasing number of States, United Nations agencies and regional and non governmental organizations are applying them as a standard, and encourages all relevant actors to make use of the Guiding Principles when dealing with situations of internal displacement

Noting with concern that many serious situations of internal displacement do not receive sufficient attention and response,

The Emergency Relief Coordinator also envisages the establishment of a network of focal points on internal displacement.

Internal displacement is often protracted in 2004, the average length of displacement was 14 years, with the overwhelming majority of internally displaced persons being displaced for more than a year.

Welcoming the increasing dissemination, promotion and application of the Guiding Principles when dealing with situations of internal displacement,

Countries in South America with large internal displacement problems have also generated external flight, albeit in small numbers.

Internal displacement on a large scale is a potential risk, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At the moment, the United Nations is monitoring serious problems of internal displacement in more than 35 countries.

Within the United Nations system, the creation of an Internal Displacement Division in OCHA alongside the mandate of the Representative of the Secretary General on the human rights of internally displaced persons has advanced the Organization's institutional response to mass exoduses and internal displacement.

In Africa, the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to the internal displacement of more than 1.6 million persons.

A national integrated strategy for IDPs had also been developed, in line with the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Implementing the collaborative response to situations of internal displacement (IASC, September 2004), see www.reliefweb.int idp docs references PolicyPack31104.pdf.

40. As in previous reporting periods, the single most important factor leading to internal displacement continued to be insecurity.

The Representative has also been instrumental in making further progress in the ongoing study of the problem of internal displacement.

This is feasible as a function of internal displacement, where the problems of ethnic and cultural marginalization are relatively minor.

8. Many member and observer delegations referred to the issue of internal displacement in Colombia, expressing concern over the situation.

Issues such as democracy, genocide, the justice system, internal security and the problem of displacement were touched upon as well.

With both the overall dynamics and general structural issues of the global crisis of internal displacement having now been more fully studied, the research agenda of the mandate has focused on specific issues and policy recommendations, including strengthening the capacity of national actors to respond to internal displacement issues.

While the overall number of refugees has slowly decreased since the early 1990s, internal displacement figures have remained relatively constant, at the 2001 level of an estimated 25 million (see graph).5 While the overall figure for internal displacement remains constant, the situation on the ground is not static.

Also welcomes the attention paid by relevant special rapporteurs, working groups, experts and treaty bodies to issues of internal displacement, and calls upon them to continue to seek information on situations that have already created or could create internal displacement and to include relevant information and recommendations thereon in their reports

Building on the work of its predecessor, the Internal Displacement Unit, the Division's primary purpose is to support national Governments, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, humanitarian and resident coordinators and United Nations agencies and other humanitarian and development actors in ensuring an effective, predictable and concerted response to crises of internal displacement.

Some countries hit by the tsunamis experienced the problem of internal displacement for the first time, while in others, the tsunamis struck areas of ongoing armed conflict and internal displacement, exacerbating pre existing humanitarian crises and forcing many persons previously displaced by violence to flee once again, further compounding their plight.

Internationally displaced persons were the primary responsibility of States, as clearly indicated in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement issued by UNHCR.

Certainly the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement provide a useful framework, and the international community has a key supporting role to play.

29. With more responsibilities in post repatriation and internal displacement situations, systematic early phase out of UNHCR programmes has become less appropriate.

ICRC hoped that its recent work with the United Nations on internal displacement would lead to more effective protection of civilian populations.

In this spirit, the Representative seeks to understand the problems of internal displacement in the country visited and make proposals for solutions.

A greater focus on specific situations of internal displacement is required to ensure that the improvements made in the international response to displacement at the legal and policy levels translate into more effective action on the ground.

IASC, Implementing the Collaborative Response to Situations of Internal Displacement Guidance for UN Humanitarian and or Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, September 2004.

(b) Report of the Secretary General on the performance and effectiveness of the new mechanism on internal displacement (resolution 2004 55, para. 27)

It is therefore encouraging to note that over the past five years several countries have adopted specific policies or legislation concerning internal displacement.