Publication

This report by the United States Institute of Peace examines the crisis of internally displaced persons (IDPs) - those who are driven from their homes but do not cross international borders and therefore often have to rely on their own government for help. The report proposes five steps to improve the global response to internal displacement. The author claims that it is essential to build ownership of IDPs by affected governments and foreign donors, using the concept of the "responsibility to protect" instead of an ill-defined concept of sovereignty as non-interference in internal affairs. Additionally, he suggests ways on how to implement rules and standards governing the response to IDPs, reform the response of the UN and the US, and create a permanent advocacy constituency for IDPs.