Follow-up visit to Serbia -including Kosovo*- by UN expert on internally displaced persons

GENEVA (7 October 2013) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Chaloka Beyani will visit Serbia -including Kosovo*- from 09 to 12 October 2013 to examine the overall situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country. According to the UN, the territory currently hosts some 210,000 IDPs, making it one of the most critical situations of internal displacement in Europe.

“During my four-day visit, I will gather first-hand information from displaced persons and affected communities,” said Mr. Beyani’s who will go to Belgrade, Pristina and other locations with IDPs to follow up on the previous visit by the mandate in 2009.

“I will also look at the challenges and opportunities for durable solutions for IDPs, while I discuss the progress made by the various stakeholders on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the previous report of this mandate,” the rights expert added.

The Special Rapporteur will meet with representatives from the Government, civil society and the UN, among others. He will also visit various sites of displacement and meet with displaced persons and local authorities.

Mr. Beyani will present preliminary observations through a written statement shortly after the end of mission. His full report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2014.

Chaloka Beyani, professor of international law at the London School of Economics, was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons by the Human Rights Council in September 2010. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity Lear more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IDPersons/Pages/IDPersonsIndex.aspx

(*) Reference to Kosovo should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council resolution 1244: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N99/172/89/PDF/N9917289.pdf?OpenElement.

UN Human Rights – Serbia: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/RSIndex.aspx

Check the report by the previous mandate holder: http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/13/21/Add.1&Lang=E

For more information and media requests, please contact Marta Franco (+41 22 917 92 68, or write to: cvieira@ohchr.org / mfranco@ohchr.org / idp@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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