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13 July 2000
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13 July 2000
Statement of the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis M. Deng, delivered by Mr. Simon Bagshaw to the Fifth Meeting of the Steering Group of the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Relevant Neighbouring States
Geneva, 13 July 2000
Distinguished Chairpersons,
Distinguished delegates,
Internally displaced persons are among the eight categories of forced migrants covered by the CIS Conference Process. At the time of the original CIS Conference in 1996, the vast majority of internally displaced persons were to be found in Tajikistan and in the South Caucasus. Four years on, most of the displaced in Tajikistan have been able to return to their places of origin. However, in the South Caucasus durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced are yet to be found and they remain in a state of protracted displacement. And in other parts of the CIS, new situations of displacement continue to occur.
As the Representative found during his missions to Azerbaijan and Georgia, protracted displacement in these states has resulted to varying degrees in the marginalisation of the internally displaced. This in turn impedes their ability to contribute to the communities in which they now live in a constructive and productive manner. Current practices as well as the legacy of Soviet-era laws and practices have the effect of preventing the internally displaced from fully enjoying rights to which they are entitled as citizens in their own countries, such as rights to political participation, property rights, and freedom of movement and choice of residence. While recognising the right of internally displaced persons to return to their home areas, there is a need for the Governments concerned to assist the internally displaced to rebuild their lives in dignity and in accordance with the full range of their rights as citizens in the places where they now reside.
An important initiative in this respect is the “New Approach” to internal displacement in Georgia, developed by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Bank and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and endorsed by the Government. Building upon a similar initiative launched in Azerbaijan, the New Approach continues to advocate the right of internally displaced persons to return to their homes in safety and dignity, but absent these conditions, recognises the right of the internally displaced to be treated in the same manner as all citizens. Accordingly, it seeks to provide the internally displaced with an opportunity to build skills and a level of self-reliance and thereby to help bridge the gap between humanitarian relief and development assistance. Its success holds great potential not only for Georgia but also as a model for how the international community can best address the needs of the internally displaced in similar situations of protracted displacement. It is therefore all the more critical that the relevant actors - the UN agencies, the World Bank, and the Government – begin to undertake the necessary steps to implement the New Approach without delay and that the resources to do so be made available expeditiously.
At the same time, however, it should be recalled that given that the root causes of internal displacement in Georgia are inherently political in nature there is need also for the intensification of efforts towards peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The same applies also in relation to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
On-going conflict in the North Caucasus is also cause for concern. Some 300,000 persons have been internally displaced within Chechnya and to its neighbouring republics, in particular Ingushetia and Dagestan. And while the attention of the international media to the plight of the displaced seems to have faded, concerns remain with regard to the extent to which the protection and assistance needs of the displaced are being met. In view of such concerns, the Representative has been engaged in dialogue with the Russian Government to discuss the situation and to pursue his request for a mission to the region, on which he has been requested to report to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly.
The aforementioned country situations, while not in themselves an exhaustive list of internal displacement in the CIS region, illustrate the various phases of displacement and the needs that arise with them: protection from arbitrary displacement, protection and assistance during displacement, and in the return, resettlement and reintegration phase. They highlight the need for the effective implementation of international human rights and humanitarian law standards in situations of displacement, the importance of which has been underlined by the CIS Conference Process. The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which were presented by the Representative to the Commission on Human Rights in 1998, restate the relevant norms of international law in all phases of displacement. They were developed at the request of the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly in a broad-based and globally representative process and constitute a valuable tool towards the realisation of the CIS Conference aims.
Since their presentation by the Representative to the Commission and also the Third Meeting of the Steering Group in 1998, the Principles have gained considerable recognition. The Commission and the General Assembly have adopted resolutions taking note of the Principles and requesting the Representative to use them in his dialogues with governments, intergovernmental bodies and NGOs and expressing appreciation of their dissemination and use by United Nations agencies. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee, composed of the heads of the major international agencies, has welcomed and endorsed the Principles and encouraged its members to share them with their Executive Boards and their staff and to apply them in the field. The Secretary-General, in his 1999 report to the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, recommended that in situations of massive displacement the Security Council encourage States to follow the legal guidance provided in the Principles and indeed, the Council has begun to refer to them in regard to specific situations.
The Commission on Human Rights has also encouraged the further dissemination and application of the Principles, in particular through regional seminars on displacement. Currently, the Representative is pursuing efforts to this end with the Council of Europe. In May of this year, working with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Brookings Institution Project on Internal Displacement and the Norwegian Refugee Council, a regional workshop on internal displacement in the South Caucasus was convened in Tbilisi, Georgia. Attended by representatives of the Governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Representative, international organisations, national NGOs, and international experts, the workshop reviewed the Guiding Principles and discussed strategies for addressing the situations of internal displacement more effectively. An important outcome of the workshop was a series of proposals including for the development of a common framework for disseminating and promoting the Principles in the region; their translation into local languages; the initiation of regional consultations on internal displacement issues; the creation of country-specific monitoring mechanisms based on the Principles; and the opening of a dialogue among governments, NGOs and international organisations about the issues raised and their potential policy implications.
As a sign as well as a vehicle for greater awareness of the problem of internal displacement in the CIS region, the Representative is pleased to report that the Guiding Principles have been translated into Russian, Azerbaijani and Georgian and, at the initiative of the Government of Armenia, will soon be available in Armenian. The Representative hopes that Governments in the CIS region as well as non-governmental organisations will familiarise themselves with the Guiding Principles and review their own actions, national legislation and procedures in terms of the Principles, so as to prevent arbitrary displacement, protect the physical safety of those displaced in crisis situations, as well as promote the full range of rights of those in protracted situations of displacement, including rights to political participation, freedom of movement and choice of residence, and to seek employment and participate in economic activities. In this connection, the Representative welcomes and supports the efforts of national NGOs active in the CIS region, such as the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and the Centre for Legal and Economic Education in Azerbaijan, which have begun to examine the laws and procedures in their countries in terms of the Guiding Principles.
To conclude, internal displacement in the CIS region demands our joint attention and response as much now as in 1996. In this regard, the Representative would like to emphasise the importance of developing effective regional approaches to the problem and his commitment to intensifying cooperation with regional organisations and initiatives so as to contribute to the achievement of positive and lasting results for the large number of internally displaced persons in the region.
Thank you.
Statement of the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis M. Deng, delivered by Mr. Simon Bagshaw to the Fifth Meeting of the Steering Group of the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Relevant Neighbouring States
Geneva, 13 July 2000
Distinguished Chairpersons,
Distinguished delegates,
Internally displaced persons are among the eight categories of forced migrants covered by the CIS Conference Process. At the time of the original CIS Conference in 1996, the vast majority of internally displaced persons were to be found in Tajikistan and in the South Caucasus. Four years on, most of the displaced in Tajikistan have been able to return to their places of origin. However, in the South Caucasus durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced are yet to be found and they remain in a state of protracted displacement. And in other parts of the CIS, new situations of displacement continue to occur.
As the Representative found during his missions to Azerbaijan and Georgia, protracted displacement in these states has resulted to varying degrees in the marginalisation of the internally displaced. This in turn impedes their ability to contribute to the communities in which they now live in a constructive and productive manner. Current practices as well as the legacy of Soviet-era laws and practices have the effect of preventing the internally displaced from fully enjoying rights to which they are entitled as citizens in their own countries, such as rights to political participation, property rights, and freedom of movement and choice of residence. While recognising the right of internally displaced persons to return to their home areas, there is a need for the Governments concerned to assist the internally displaced to rebuild their lives in dignity and in accordance with the full range of their rights as citizens in the places where they now reside.
An important initiative in this respect is the “New Approach” to internal displacement in Georgia, developed by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Bank and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and endorsed by the Government. Building upon a similar initiative launched in Azerbaijan, the New Approach continues to advocate the right of internally displaced persons to return to their homes in safety and dignity, but absent these conditions, recognises the right of the internally displaced to be treated in the same manner as all citizens. Accordingly, it seeks to provide the internally displaced with an opportunity to build skills and a level of self-reliance and thereby to help bridge the gap between humanitarian relief and development assistance. Its success holds great potential not only for Georgia but also as a model for how the international community can best address the needs of the internally displaced in similar situations of protracted displacement. It is therefore all the more critical that the relevant actors - the UN agencies, the World Bank, and the Government – begin to undertake the necessary steps to implement the New Approach without delay and that the resources to do so be made available expeditiously.
At the same time, however, it should be recalled that given that the root causes of internal displacement in Georgia are inherently political in nature there is need also for the intensification of efforts towards peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The same applies also in relation to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
On-going conflict in the North Caucasus is also cause for concern. Some 300,000 persons have been internally displaced within Chechnya and to its neighbouring republics, in particular Ingushetia and Dagestan. And while the attention of the international media to the plight of the displaced seems to have faded, concerns remain with regard to the extent to which the protection and assistance needs of the displaced are being met. In view of such concerns, the Representative has been engaged in dialogue with the Russian Government to discuss the situation and to pursue his request for a mission to the region, on which he has been requested to report to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly.
The aforementioned country situations, while not in themselves an exhaustive list of internal displacement in the CIS region, illustrate the various phases of displacement and the needs that arise with them: protection from arbitrary displacement, protection and assistance during displacement, and in the return, resettlement and reintegration phase. They highlight the need for the effective implementation of international human rights and humanitarian law standards in situations of displacement, the importance of which has been underlined by the CIS Conference Process. The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which were presented by the Representative to the Commission on Human Rights in 1998, restate the relevant norms of international law in all phases of displacement. They were developed at the request of the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly in a broad-based and globally representative process and constitute a valuable tool towards the realisation of the CIS Conference aims.
Since their presentation by the Representative to the Commission and also the Third Meeting of the Steering Group in 1998, the Principles have gained considerable recognition. The Commission and the General Assembly have adopted resolutions taking note of the Principles and requesting the Representative to use them in his dialogues with governments, intergovernmental bodies and NGOs and expressing appreciation of their dissemination and use by United Nations agencies. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee, composed of the heads of the major international agencies, has welcomed and endorsed the Principles and encouraged its members to share them with their Executive Boards and their staff and to apply them in the field. The Secretary-General, in his 1999 report to the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, recommended that in situations of massive displacement the Security Council encourage States to follow the legal guidance provided in the Principles and indeed, the Council has begun to refer to them in regard to specific situations.
The Commission on Human Rights has also encouraged the further dissemination and application of the Principles, in particular through regional seminars on displacement. Currently, the Representative is pursuing efforts to this end with the Council of Europe. In May of this year, working with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Brookings Institution Project on Internal Displacement and the Norwegian Refugee Council, a regional workshop on internal displacement in the South Caucasus was convened in Tbilisi, Georgia. Attended by representatives of the Governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Representative, international organisations, national NGOs, and international experts, the workshop reviewed the Guiding Principles and discussed strategies for addressing the situations of internal displacement more effectively. An important outcome of the workshop was a series of proposals including for the development of a common framework for disseminating and promoting the Principles in the region; their translation into local languages; the initiation of regional consultations on internal displacement issues; the creation of country-specific monitoring mechanisms based on the Principles; and the opening of a dialogue among governments, NGOs and international organisations about the issues raised and their potential policy implications.
As a sign as well as a vehicle for greater awareness of the problem of internal displacement in the CIS region, the Representative is pleased to report that the Guiding Principles have been translated into Russian, Azerbaijani and Georgian and, at the initiative of the Government of Armenia, will soon be available in Armenian. The Representative hopes that Governments in the CIS region as well as non-governmental organisations will familiarise themselves with the Guiding Principles and review their own actions, national legislation and procedures in terms of the Principles, so as to prevent arbitrary displacement, protect the physical safety of those displaced in crisis situations, as well as promote the full range of rights of those in protracted situations of displacement, including rights to political participation, freedom of movement and choice of residence, and to seek employment and participate in economic activities. In this connection, the Representative welcomes and supports the efforts of national NGOs active in the CIS region, such as the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and the Centre for Legal and Economic Education in Azerbaijan, which have begun to examine the laws and procedures in their countries in terms of the Guiding Principles.
To conclude, internal displacement in the CIS region demands our joint attention and response as much now as in 1996. In this regard, the Representative would like to emphasise the importance of developing effective regional approaches to the problem and his commitment to intensifying cooperation with regional organisations and initiatives so as to contribute to the achievement of positive and lasting results for the large number of internally displaced persons in the region.
Thank you.