Mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

A/HRC/RES/6/32View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, published in 2008.

What’s in this document?

22 operative paragraphs

Commends the Representative of the Secretary-General for the activities undertaken to date, for the catalytic role that he has played in raising the level of awareness of the plight of internally displaced persons and for his ongoing efforts to address their development and other specific needs, including through the mainstreaming of the human rights of internally displaced persons into all relevant parts of the United Nations system;

Expresses its appreciation to those Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that have provided protection and assistance to internally displaced persons and have supported the work of the Representative of the Secretary-General;

Expresses concern at the persistent problems of large numbers of internally displaced persons worldwide, in particular the risk of extreme poverty and socio-economic exclusion, their limited access to humanitarian assistance, vulnerability to human rights violations and difficulties resulting from their specific situation, such as lack of food, medication or shelter and issues pertinent during their reintegration, including, in appropriate cases, the need for the restitution of or compensation for property;

Expresses particular concern at the grave problems faced by many internally displaced women and children, including violence and abuse, sexual exploitation, forced recruitment and abduction, and notes the need to continue to pay more systematic and in-depth attention to their special assistance, protection and development needs, as well as those of other groups with special needs among the internally displaced, such as older persons and persons with disabilities, taking into account the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000;

Recognizes the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as an important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons, and encourages member States and humanitarian agencies to continue to work together in endeavours to provide a more predictable response to the needs of internally displaced persons, and in this regard calls for international support, upon request, to capacity building efforts of States;

Decides to extend the mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons for a period of three years, in order to:

Address the complex problem of internal displacement, in particular by mainstreaming human rights of the internally displaced into all relevant parts of the United Nations system;

Work towards strengthening the international response to the complex problem of situations of internal displacement and engage in coordinated international advocacy and action for improving protection and respect of the human rights of the internally displaced, while continuing and enhancing dialogue with Governments, non-governmental organizations and other relevant actors;

Requests the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, in carrying out his/her mandate:

To continue, through continuous dialogue with Governments and all intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned, the analysis of the reasons for internal displacement, the needs and human rights of those displaced, the development of benchmarks for assessing when displacement ends, measures of prevention and ways to strengthen protection, assistance and durable solutions for internally displaced persons, taking into account specific situations and relevant information, including in particular national data and statistics, and to include information thereon in his/her reports to the Human Rights Council;

To continue, through continuous dialogue with Governments and all intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned, his/her efforts to promote comprehensive strategies and support that focus on prevention of displacement, better protection and assistance and durable solutions for those displaced, taking into account the primary responsibility of States within their jurisdiction in this regard;

To continue to use the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in his/her dialogue with Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and other relevant actors, and to continue his/her efforts to further the dissemination, promotion and application of the Guiding Principles and to provide support for efforts to promote capacity-building and the use of the Guiding Principles, as well as the development of domestic legislation and policies;

To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate and to give special consideration to the human rights of internally displaced women and children as well as other groups with special needs among the internally displaced, such as severely traumatized individuals, older persons and persons with disabilities, and their particular assistance, protection and development needs;

To continue his/her efforts to promote, where appropriate, the consideration of the human rights and the specific protection and assistance needs of internally displaced persons in peace processes, peace agreements and reintegration and rehabilitation processes;

To continue to pay attention to the role of the international community in assisting affected States, upon request, in meeting the protection and assistance needs of internally displaced persons, including in implementing national strategies and to incorporate in his/her advocacy activities an emphasis on the mobilization of adequate resources in response to the needs of affected countries;

To continue, through continuous dialogue with Governments and the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned, his/her efforts to promote the protection of human rights of internally displaced persons in the context of natural disasters;

To strengthen the cooperation established between the Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations, including in the framework of the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as other international and regional organizations, in particular his/her participation in the work of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and its subsidiary bodies;

Encourages all Governments, in particular Governments of countries with situations of internal displacement, to facilitate United Nations activities addressing the protection, assistance and development needs of internally displaced persons and to respond favourably to requests by the Representative for visits and information, and urges Governments and the relevant bodies of the United Nations system, also at the country level, to follow up effectively, where appropriate, on recommendations of the mandate-holder and to make available information on measures taken in this regard;

Encourages the United Nations, including its specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations, mandate-holders, interested institutions and independent experts, and non-governmental organizations to develop regular dialogue and cooperation with the Representative of the Secretary-General in the fulfilment of his/her mandate;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Representative with all necessary assistance and adequate staffing to carry out his/her mandate effectively and to ensure that the mechanism works with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and in close cooperation with the Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;

Invites the Representative of the Secretary-General to submit annual reports on the implementation of his/her mandate to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly, making suggestions and recommendations regarding the human rights of internally displaced persons, including on the impact of measures taken at the inter-agency level;

Decides to continue its consideration of the question of the human rights of internally displaced persons in conformity with the annual programme of work of the Human Rights Council.

Mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

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