UNHCR BACKGROUND GUIDE Protection for Internally Displaced Persons Director: Assistant Director: Keli Almonte Daniela Barrera HillMUN 2015 April 25, 2015 New York, NY
INTRODUCTION The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. The UNHCR is not actually structured as a committee, but rather as an administrative office of the UN led by a High Commissioner, who is selected by the General Assembly. Therefore, our committee will truly simulate a meeting of the General Assembly. The High Commissioner directs and controls the UNHCR. Their job is to direct the work of this committee in collaboration with a Deputy High Commissioner and Assistant High Commissioners for Protection and Operations. The current High Commissioner is António Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal. What was originally supposed to be a three-year mandate is now the leading UN Committee focused on protecting the rights and overall well-being of refugees. The UNHCR also focuses on ensuring that those affected can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people people who aren t considered citizens of any country, usually due to displacement from conflict. The UNHCR s protection of refugees, IDPs, and all those affected by international and civil conflict spans nine categories of action: 1. Advocacy 2. Assistance 3. Asylum and Migration 4. Capacity Building 5. Durable Solutions 6. Emergency Response 7. Environment 8. Fund-Raising 9. Protection
TOPIC HISTORY The topic for this committee is the Protection for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). IDPs are different from refugees because they do not actually leave the country where they are from. However, they are still kept away from their homes due to violence (and may be living in danger of future violence), and so face many of the same challenges as refugees. However, the fact that they remain within their home country s borders can actually make it harder to reach them, as the UNHCR cannot rely on the goodwill of neighboring nations to provide access. IDPs are overwhelmingly women, who are often extremely vulnerable in conflict zones. When discussing this topic there are several things to take into consideration. To begin with, you must consider the situation affecting the home nations of the IDPs. Usually, the home nation tends to be under political or armed conflict that doesn t allow the government to provide the proper protection for its citizens, which is one of the biggest factors affecting these individuals. Whether the conflict(s) is ongoing or not may also influence what course of action to take. One of the most common defenses of nations to keep UNHCR aid out (which may be considered hostile international intervention) is their right to sovereignty. Another cause of the displacement of these people can be natural disasters, which are a bit harder to control, but easier to predict if it happens on a seasonal basis; such as countries in Asia have experienced. Another factor to consider is the number of IDPs within the country and how it is affecting the home countries and surrounding countries resources. The three countries with the leading number of IDP populations are: Colombia (5,368,138), Iraq (954,128), and South Sudan (331,097). However, while these nations include the highest population of IDPs, you must also consider the increase in IDP growth within the nations; for example, the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and the one in Syria are responsible for about half of the new displacements in 2012. As of January 2014, there are 33.3 million IDPs in the globe; this is more than twice the number of refugees, which is at about 15.5 million. Along with protecting the displaced, you should consider durable solutions to help prevent internal displacement from that home country ever again; or create a plan that such that where conflicts to arise again, the rights and well-being of the IDPs would be protected. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PROTECT? When serving IDPs, the UNHCR has identified three types of protection that need to be taken under consideration. First, is responsive protection. This is likely what people think about when it comes to protecting IDPs. It means preventing or stopping any violations of human rights and physical harm from coming to IDPs. This includes protecting areas where IDPs can be found from the fighters in the nearby conflict. It also includes ensuring that people are able to reach IDP camps in safety. Once at the camp, the IDP should be able to have access to their basic needs food, water, shelter, etc. The actions that fall under responsive protection are mostly concerned with restoring a stable lifestyle for the IDP. However, there are two other important protection activities. Protecting IDPs also requires remedial support allowing IDPs to seek legal justice and reparations for any damages sustained. IDPs are usually forgotten to their state, which is more preoccupied with the ongoing conflict and preventing more IDPs than the civilians that are already displaced. Therefore, during the conflict and especially afterwards, it is important to make sure that they have access to true justice and representation where required. The other protection activity is environment-building. During and
after a conflict, it is important to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law. This takes an active effort on the part of the UNHCR to build a safe environment that will permit IDPs to return to their homes. If fighters and combatants do not see IDPs as deserving of their basic rights, it all but guarantees future violence against them. CASE STUDY: COLOMBIA Over the past 40 years, the Colombian government has fought an intense war with the rebel groups FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) and ELN (Army of National Liberation). The length of this conflict has led to wide areas of Colombia being under rebel control for longer than most locals can remember. In addition to the jungle terrain in southern Colombia, this makes it extremely difficult to reach IDPs in this conflict. IDPs in Colombia also go against the traditional vision of refugees and IDPs as living in isolated camps in distant regions. In Colombia, more than half of all 5.4 million registered IDPs live in cities throughout the country. However, they still face intense challenges, as many IDPs live in poverty and access to shelter and basic necessities is not guaranteed. This also means that IDPs rarely live together in large groups, which makes them feel pressure to assimilate into their new home areas. It also makes it harder for the UNCHR to provide aid to IDPs, since they are scattered throughout urban areas with many people in need. Establishing a cease fire has been a priority of the UNHCR, as a pause in the conflict would allow for aid to IDPs to be much more easily delivered. The government has recently proposed and followed through with peace talks to help stabilize the situation with the rebel group. However, despite the increase in peace efforts and increased laws against violence, certain areas of the country is more affected than others as members of FARC and ELN are making things difficult for
politicians and negotiators. There is also little popular support for a peace process on both sides of the conflict CASE STUDY: IRAQ Iraq has been the hotbed of many conflicts in recent years. Many of the IDPs in the country were initially displaced in the US invasion of the country in 2003 and the years of insurgent violence that followed, devastating many of Iraq s largest urban areas. The latest violence from the Islamic State has left a large part of the country entirely inaccessible to international aid. The region of Kurdistan, which continues to fight against the Islamic State is particularly difficult to reach. The recent crisis in Syria also added fuel to the instability in the region. Iraq is receiving refugees from Syria, along with returning Iraqi refugees causing a secondary displacement. The increase in refugees is causing a strain on the nation s resources and population capability. The government is working to relieve the strain and aid the refugees by providing financial contributions to certain organizations such as Al Qa im, Anbar governorate, and the Kurdistan regions at the beginning of the Syrian crisis. Iraq is also a case where the government is open and willing to receive UNHCR aid, but the situation on the ground makes that nearly impossible to deliver. Ongoing violence from the Islamic State and underdeveloped infrastructure in the areas that need aid block access to aid workers. COMMITTEE MISSION This committee s charge will be coming up with creative new solutions to help serve and aid IDPs around the world. The protections the committee develops should include full rights for all individuals, regardless of their age, gender, or ethnic, social, religious, or other background. As
described above, there are numerous barriers to delivering this aid to countries, even when the government is willing to cooperate. However, it is the responsibility of the United Nations to aid these civilians in need. These people have their fundamental human rights under siege, and without a strong, international response, they may never be able to return to their homes RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. Is the number of IDPs in your country a pertinent issue? a. If so, how is affecting your country (think of the toll on natural resources and other civilians within the nation)? What is being done to correct the situation (if anything)? b. If no, is your country involved in assisting to reduce the total amount of IDPs in the world? How? 2. How can your country protect the rights of IDPs globally and ensure that they are not put into dangerous situations? 3. What is your country s relationship with international aid partners regarding IDP and refugee issues? 4. How can your country get involved in aiding those affected without infringing on the rights of the home nation and/or putting others at harm s way? 5. Are there any policies or laws within your country concerning IDPs? What are they? Are they effective? 6. Does your country recognize the difference between IDPS and refugees? [or] How does your country define IDPs and refugees?
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