International standards

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2) (other languages), which constitute the key international standard on internal displacement worldwide, restate and compile human rights and humanitarian law relevant to internally displaced persons.

Background to the Guiding Principles

In 1993, at the request of the Commission on Human Rights, prior Representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced persons Francis M. Deng prepared his first study (E/CN.4/1993/35 Annex) of international standards relevant to internally displaced persons (IDPs). In a more comprehensive two-volume study presented in 1996 (E/CN.4/1996/52/Add.2) and 1998 (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.1), Representative Deng concluded that existing law provided broad protection for the rights of internally displaced persons, but that there were also certain grey areas and gaps in coverage.

With the encouragement of the Commission of Human Rights (E/CN.4/RES/1996/52, para. 9) and the General Assembly, Representative Deng proceeded to develop a document setting out the relevant law and addressing the grey areas and gaps, with the help of a team of international legal scholars chaired by Mr. Walter Kälin. The resulting Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were presented to the Commission on Human Rights in 1998.

The Commission has expressed its appreciation of the Guiding Principles as an important tool for dealing with internal displacement, and has welcomed the fact that an increasing number of States, United Nations agencies and regional and non-governmental organizations are applying them as a standard (E/CN.4/RES/2004/55, operative paragraph 6).

A handbook and legal annotations (the latter authored by Mr. Kälin) were subsequently developed to make the Guiding Principles more accessible.

20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles

In 2018, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons dedicated her report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/38/39) to a review of the progress achieved, the ongoing challenges and the necessary actions to be taken by all stakeholders in the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. In October the same year, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched the GP20, a three-year multi-stakeholder plan of action to reduce and resolve internal displacement through prevention, protection and solutions for internally displaced persons consistent with the Guiding Principles.

In 2019, the Special Rapporteur presented a report to the Human Rights Council containing the GP20 Plan of Action and an overview of the activities envisaged and thus far undertaken under the GP20. In October 2020, an intersessional seminar to follow up on the implementation of the Plan of Action was convened by OHCHR as requested by the Human Rights Council in its Resolution 41/15. The Special Rapporteur moderated the seminar, which had the participation of a wide range of stakeholders.

As the GP20 successfully concluded at the end of 2020, stakeholders will continue to collaborate under a new chapter provisionally entitled GP2.0 for joint initiatives and events as well as sharing of information and good practices on internal displacement. Expressions of interest to join this group are welcome at any time and from any constituency and membership. For more information, please contact the GP2.0 secretariat at gp2.0@unhcr.org  

Guiding Principles

• Guiding Principles in English
• Guiding Principles in Abkhaz
• Guiding Principles in Albanian
• Guiding Principles in Arabic
• Guiding Principles in Azeri
• Guiding Principles in Burmese
• Guiding Principles in Cebuano
• Guiding Principles in Chinese
• Guiding Principles in French
• Guiding Principles in Fulfulde
• Guiding Principles in Georgian
• Guiding Principles in German
• Guiding Principles in Japanese
• Guiding Principles in Kanuri
• Guiding Principles in Kirundi
• Guiding Principles in Luo
• Guiding Principles in Macedonian
• Guiding Principles in Magui
• Guiding Principles in Portuguese
• Guiding Principles in Russian
• Guiding Principles in Rutoro
• Guiding Principles in Serbo-Croatian
• Guiding Principles in Sgaw Karen
• Guiding Principles in Somali
• Guiding Principles in Spanish
• Guiding Principles in Swahili
• Guiding Principles in Swahili DRC
• Guiding Principles in Tamajag
• Guiding Principles in Tamil
• Guiding Principles in Turkish
• Guiding Principles in Ukrainian
• Guiding Principles in Zarma

Legal bases for the Guiding Principles

The Guiding Principles are based in part on the following instruments:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
• ILO Convention (No. 169) concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries
• Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (applied by analogy)
• Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I)
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II)
• The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
• Statute of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991
• Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committee in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Violations Committed in the Territory of the Neighbouring States, between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994

Essential standards and frameworks:

• IASC Framework for Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons, 2010
• African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (Kampala Convention), 2009
• Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: Annotations (W. Kälin), 2008
• UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-Based Evictions and Displacement, 2007
• International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, 2006
• International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Protocol on the Property Rights of Returning Persons, 2006
• Brookings – Bern: Addressing Internal Displacement: a Framework for National Responsibility, 2005