Inaugural Course on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons – Law, Policy and Practice

20 May 2015, New York, USA – UNITAR New York Office conducted the Inaugural Course on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) – Law, Political and Practice, in collaboration with UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The course aimed to increase diplomats' understanding of international refugee law and the UN’s guiding principles on IDPs, so that they can be utilised effectively as mechanisms for protecting refugees and IDPs. The Deputy Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, H.E. Janne Taalas, formally opened the course. Dr. Taalas set the scene with three key messages: Finland’s interest and role in humanitarian relief and protection of the most vulnerable, the increasing complexity and endurance of refugee and IDP situation, and the need for intra-agency transformative discussion. Ms Anne-Christine Eriksson, Deputy Director, UNHCR, followed with a recap of current issues and the role of UNHCR in refugee and asylum issues, and emergency response to IDPs. A key message was how forced displacement of individuals and communities fit into a delegate’s role in New York, and is intertwined in the UN pillars of sustainability.

As a special event, Dr. Roberta Cohen of Brookings, who co-developed the UN Guiding Principles for IDPs, provided a Skype presentation on development of the UN guiding principles and the lessons learned relating to the Kampala convention. Moreover, she provided a comprehensive overview on Kampala Convention, from its establishment in October 2009 as well as the distinction between refugees and IDPs, the issues of statelessness. 

In addition, Ms. Agnes Hurwitz, UNHCR, outlined that the increased number of refugees and IDPs has been unprecedented, spurring the call for specific legal instruments to deal with this, and discussed the concept of host community integration and self-reliance for refugees and IDPs. During the course, Executive Assistant to UNHCR’s Director Mr. Senai Terrefe encouraged delegates to view refugees and IDPs as opportunities and not problems, and provided contemporary examples.

Senior Advocacy Officer, Woman’s Refugee Commission, Ms. Marcy Hersh, reiterated and emphasised the need to incorporate the protection of women and provided thought provoking examples in the context of camp establishment. And lastly, Mr. Anton Santaneen, Policy Development and Studies Branch, OCHA, emphasised the importance of the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in relation to refugees and IDP issues. 

Dr. Philip Spoerri, International Committee of the Red Cross, made an excellent and demystifying comparison of the definition and relevant laws and policies between refugees, IDPs and migrants. This was supported by an opportunity presentation by International Organization for Migration, discussing the distinction and interrelations between migrants and refugees and IDPs.

Ms. Greta Zeender, Adviser to the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internal Displaced Persons/OCHA IDP Focal Point Policy Advise and Planning Section/Policy Development and Studies Branch, OCHA, discussed the complementary, yet distinct, roles of OCHA and UNHCR in the field, and emphasised the requirement for a coordinated and more predicable national and international response to refugee and IDPs.

In the course, delegates expressed what they wanted to learn from the experience of others, which resulted in tailored discussions on how delegates could help within their Missions. They actively participated through a thought provoking quiz activity and presentation opportunities to contextualised migrants. Delegates found the workshop extremely useful and timely, and the mix of participants facilitated great networking and idea sharing. Delegates left with in-depth understanding of the international refugee law, the UN’s guiding principles on IDPs and the role of OCHA, UNHCR, and international NGOs.

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