LAW AND POLICY ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT
Why a focus on law and policy?
It is essential for protection actors to invest in environment-building action, aimed at creating and/or consolidating an environment – political, social, cultural, institutional, economic and legal – conducive to full respect for the rights of women, men, boys and girls, without any kind of discrimination. Promoting the implementation at the national level of relevant international law, including by supporting the ratification of relevant treaties and the establishment of adequate legal, policy and institutional frameworks, is therefore paramount.
While law- and policy-making is an essential exercise of state sovereignty, Protection Clusters and their members have an important role to play in advocating for and supporting States in the development and implementation of their laws and policies for protection outcomes; particularly relevant in many contexts are laws and policies relating to the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), often necessary for the incorporation of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (or the domestication of the African Union Kampala Convention as relevant) into national legislation.
The engagement of field Protection Clusters in the law-and-policy area should be based on a solid analysis of the legal and policy context, which should be an integral part of the protection context-based analysis informing the overall strategic planning.
Global Level Coordination
The GPC Task Team on Law & Policy (TTLP), led by UNHCR, was established in 2015 to coordinate multi-stakeholder efforts to advocate for, promote and support states’ efforts in developing domestic and regional normative frameworks on the protection and assistance of IDPs in line with the Guiding Principles and other relevant regional and international frameworks.
UNHCR has been co-leading the Task Team since 2015. Globally, the membership of the Task Team includes UN agencies, NGOs, research and academic institutions, donors, human rights and development agencies, and representatives of other AoRs/Task Teams and field Protection Cluster (co-coordinators).
In line with the Principles of Partnership, the TTLP operates as an open and inclusive forum bringing together traditional and new GPC partners with specific expertise on the subject. If you are interested in learning more or contributing to the TTLP, please contact the TTLP Chair (contacts below).
GPC Task Team on Law and Policy – TORs
GPC Task Team on Law Policy 2021 – 2024 Strategy
CONTACT
Martina Caterina
GPC Task Team on Law & Policy Chair
caterina@unhcr.org
An introduction to the Kampala Convention by Prof. Chaloka Beyani