Durable solution to internal displacement: Exploring the roles of the development, humanitarian and peacebuilding actors

Supporting durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), particularly through the engagement of development and peacebuilding actors, is a perennial challenge, but one that has attracted increased attention in recent years. This is reflected in, for example, the development of the 2010 Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons; the Secretary-General’s Framework on Ending Displacement in the Aftermath of Conflict; and the Transitional Solutions Initiative. At the consultation on “Taking Stock of Internal Displacement” convened by Dr. Chaloka Beyani, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs and the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement in Geneva in November 2012, there was strong consensus amongst the participants regarding the need to focus collective efforts on the pursuit of durable solutions to displacement, particularly by addressing the development dimensions of this issue. Participants from a wide range of organizations stressed strong interest in the IDP mandate promoting a paradigm shift so that internal displacement is more widely recognized as a critical development issue, as well as a humanitarian and peacebuilding concern. They also expressed interest in the mandate supporting processes such as the piloting and implementation of the Secretary-General’s Framework on Ending Displacement in the Aftermath of Conflict.