The first “Cross-Regional Forum on Implementing Laws and Policies on Internal Displacement” was held between 6th and 9th June 2023 at the International Institute for Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy. Organized by UNHCR, the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, the IDP Protection Expert Group (IPEG) and the Global Protection Cluster’s Task Team on Law and Policy, it gathered government representatives from 10 countries to discuss and exchange experiences concerning the effective implementation of IDPs laws and policies.
Countries represented at the Forum included Mexico, Colombia, Mozambique, Iraq, Honduras, Somalia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Philippines. With topics ranging from coordination (to ensure meaningful ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of society’ approaches), practical steps to initiate implementation, and facilitating durable solutions for effected populations, the discussion at the Forum was rich and enabled peer-to-peer learning and exchange.
Alongside the Special Rapporteur Paula Gaviria, and two of her predecessor’s Walter Kaelin and Chaloka Beyani, EGRISS was invited to join the facilitation team contributing with expertise on IDP data, the International Recommendations on IDP Statistics (IRIS), statistical inclusion, the role of national statistical offices and measuring durable solutions.
