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Lin to join virtual session

In 2024, the UN Secretary-Generalā€™s Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement will wrap up the work on this issue begun by his High-Level Panel in 2020 and continued under his Action Agenda. These processes reflect a longstanding preoccupation that, despite decades of efforts including the 1998 UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the humanitarian reform, the acute needs of many internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain unmet and, globally, long-term solutions to their situation appear elusive.

This conference provides a forum for researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and students from all disciplines to come together to present, debate and reflect on ā€˜solutionsā€™ to internal displacement and their future. It offered the chance to develop new research agendas and collaborations. Alongside keynote presentations, it hosted ā€˜thematicā€™ and ā€˜openā€™ panel sessions to share research and analysis from academia and from policy/practice.

IDRC Research Chairs, Dr. Nyi Nyi kyaw, Dr. Abebaw Minaye, and Dr. Fouad M Fouad, presented at the “Not All IDPs are the Same: Working towards Different ‘Solutions’ for Different IDPs” thematic panel sessions.

Not All Myanmar IDPs (2011-) Are the Same

Speaker: Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw (IDRC Research Chair, Chiang Mai University, Thailand)

This paper will discuss three different waves of internal displacement of more than 2 million in Myanmar from 2011 until late 2023 and highlight that ethnic conflict, religious conflict, and political conflict have resulted in those waves. It will then argue that different solutions are required and must be tailed to help solve the three waves.

Seeking Solutions to Unprecedented Internal Displacement in Ethiopia

Speaker: Dr. Abebaw Minaye (IDRC Research Chair, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia)

The multidimensional plights of close to 4 million IDPs in Ethiopia have taken a back seat in the policy debates in the country. Ethiopia has not adopted adequate legal and institutional frameworks for the protection of IDPs (Djigisa, 2019). Neither does the international community pay sufficient attention to the problem. Ethiopia lacks a comprehensive dedicated framework to ameliorate the plight of IDPs. One of the most relevant provisions was the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) policy of 2013 with its associated Strategic Programme (Habte & Kweon, 2018). Though Ethiopia has ratified the Kampala Convention, there is neither a legal nor policy framework that gives domestic effect to the Convention. Though Ethiopia has recently joined the UNā€™s Durable Solutions Initiative (2019), existing normative frameworks do not comprehensively respond to the specific needs of IDPs (Dagne, 2021), and transitional, developmental and durable solutions are not being implemented properly. Sometimes pushes by the government for IDPsā€™ return to their original environments that remain violent do more harm than help. In some cases, IDPs are experiencing emotional statelessness. Focus is often much more on charity, where the private sector is required to give alms, than on creation of business and entrepreneurial activities that benefit and empower IDPs. I want to discuss the following possible solutions. First, engagement and representation of IDPs in community-based organizations to help them articulate their concerns and possible mitigation strategies. Second, government should better cooperate with host communities by aligning support to IDPs with local development endeavours than pressuring IDPs to return. Third, addressing systemic threats for example by respecting the rights of ethnic minorities in ethnic majority regions and revising federal and regional constitutions. Fourth, embracing a whole-of-government approach that engages various sectoral government offices with better coordination mechanism so that no one will be left behind.

Ā IDPs in Northwest Syria – How to Address Need in Non-State Entity

Speaker: Dr. Fouad M Fouad (IDRC Research Chair, American University of Beirut, Lebanon)

Syria has the highest number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world, with 6.7 million people being forced from their homes since the uprising began in 2011. Women and children constitute at least two-thirds of those who are displaced. The IDPs are unevenly distributed across the four primary territories controlled by various conflict parties, with only one being under government control. Each of these territories has evolved differently, with different leadership and governance structures, financing, and priorities. I will argue that the 2.5 million IDPs who crossed the power borders (but not the international borders) to northwest Syria, which is governed by non-state groups, require a different solution to address their needs when compared to IDPs who moved within territories controlled by the government.

View the conference programme for a full list of panel sessions, keynote speakers, and hosts:

In the last decade, it has become very clear that climate change is not a problem of the future. This threat multiplier is causing severe natural disasters, rising sea levels, desertification, and rising temperatures in every continent, reminding us that it is not only the global South that is experiencing and will be experiencing its direct effects. It is true, however, that some of the most severe impacts of climate change are indeed being felt in the Sahel, the Maghreb, and West Africa, where millions of people are facing increasing water scarcity, desertification, and land degradation, to name a few. These impacts have serious implications for human development, food security, and political stability, and are already driving a growing trend of migration across the region.

Although most migration is intraregional, migratory flows toward Europe will increase steadily at potentially unsustainable levels if climate change continues to affect basic resources such as water and food security. The UNHCR recently estimated that approximately 1.2 billion people are at risk of climate-related displacement. This displacement, which we have been able to already observe during research for this report, will in turn, be the cause of serious political instability in migrantsā€™ countries of origin and destination, as well as between them at the international level. It is therefore critical that awareness of climate change and its impact on human displacement is widely recognized and that it leads to more comprehensive and coordinated responses by policymakers and governing bodies. Current predictions indicate that mitigation and adaptation efforts must be further strengthened to give people a chance to live safely in a new climate reality. Economic development plays a critical role in this effort and helps ensure societies are resilient to climate change.

Migration is a human phenomenon that has always occurred for a variety of reasons. It is up to those in power to ensure that the way it happens remains a humane process and that human rights remain a priority. People forced to leave their homes and communities in search of more stable conditions and better opportunities are often demonized in political rhetoric and the media, but as climate change makes migration increasingly inevitable, it is as important as ever to be aware of its causes. We are confident that the information gathered in this report reflects these ideas while bringing more attention to this critical issue on all shores of the Mediterranean. Mitigating some of the worst effects of global warming is undoubtedly an issue on which we must act now. In doing so, we can help ensure a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.

Speaking during the launch on 29th May 2023, the Acting Vice Chancellor, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academic,Ā , emphasized that the University was committed to ensuring inclusivity and global development due to the urgency of the issues.

ā€œOur University is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that no one is left behind in this development process as we work toward a global commitment to improve the lives of those who are least fortunate in the worldā€, said Prof. Rutinwa.

Prof. Rutinwa expressed his optimism that the Research Chair would empower scholars to explore various facets of forced displacement, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. He emphasized that the Chair’s objective was to provide solutions and promote peaceful living for all individuals affected by forced migration.

The distinguished guest of honor who graced this the event, the Acting High Commissioner of Canada in Tanzania,Ā , said her office was ready to lend support and expertise to this crucial endeavor. ā€œForced migration is a growing concern affecting numerous lives; it is a global problem that requires collective actionā€.

Hon. Hellen Fytche also acknowledged the significance of the works the Research Chair would be dealing with in tackling the challenges faced by displaced individuals and communities.

32 members involved

Meanwhile the Chairperson of the University of Dar es Salaam Research Chair on Forced Displacement,Ā Dr. Opportuna Kweka, said its research will involve 32 members from different countries, which will initially focus on Tanzania and East Africa before expanding globally.

ā€œThe Chair aims to comprehensively address forced migration issue through research, outreach programs, seminars, policy debates, and support for young researchers and internship programsā€, said Dr. Kweka.

She also highlighted the chair’s unique inclusive and multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing that the research activities would be internally managed at the University, including funding arrangements.

Dr. Kweka also said that, for the chairā€™s effective undertakings, collaborative partnerships with other higher learning and research institutions and researchers have already been established. The institutions includeĀ Ā and theĀ Ā Researchers come from various countries such as Morocco, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Lebanon, India, Peru, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic.

In Thailand, the second IDRC Research Chair was officially launched on May 9th at the Asian Institute of Technology. The Gender and Development Studies (GDS) program at AIT inaugurated the alongside the appointment of the IDRC Endowed Research Chair Professor on Gender and Forced Displacement. Professor Paula Banerjee, an esteemed scholar in gender, migration, and forced displacement, has been appointed as the Chair and will serve as the director of the center.