Dennis McNamara, Director of the United Nations Inter-Agency Internal Displacement Division, OCHA, interviewed by IRIN.
Credit: IRIN | |
After years of working with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, in 2004 Dennis McNamara became director of the IAIDD, situated in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in Geneva, and reporting to the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. He told IRIN of the special difficulties facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the moves being made to address some of these needs.
Question: What figures is your office using to quantify the current scale of IDPs worldwide, and how do these compare with the number of refugees?
Answer: Globally we estimate approximately 25 million IDPs have been created from conflict and violence, and probably another 25 to 30 million through natural disasters, including the current tsunami. This compares with a figure of less than 10 million refugees - so the IDPs are two to three times the size of the global refugee problem.
Q: To what extent has protection and assistance for IDPs been overlooked in humanitarian law and, specifically, in the formulation of the UN mandates in the post-WW2 period?
A: It's a good question. Historically it is linked to the issue of sovereignty, which was the major preoccupation in the establishment of the post-war institutions of the UN. Human rights are a key part of the UN Charter, but it was only in the 1990s that the office of High Commissioner for Human rights (UNHCR) was set up. IDPs from abuse and violence were lost in the debate between sovereignty and human rights, hence no agency was specifically mandated for this particular group of people - consequently, we are now developing a collaborative response. According to recent decisions, all agencies are committed to assisting and protecting IDPs, in accordance with this inter-agency collaborative response.
Q: Generally, what moves are taking place, if any, to address the lack of assistance and legal protection for IDPs?
A: Legally, IDPs are covered by international humanitarian law and human rights law and refugee law, as far as applicable. The 'Guiding Principles on IDPs' embody these norms. If one uses the legal concept of mutatis mutandis [Latin: with the necessary changes being made], then they are covered by the central principles. [The previous special representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons,] Francis Deng has been promoting these principles and the protection of IDPs as part of international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law. However, the major weakness here is that these principles are non-binding in international law. A few countries have incorporated them into national law, but generally this has not happened.
Protection remains a major concern - it's a highly sensitive issue due to the emphasis given to national sovereignty, and requires careful handling.
Q: Should UNHCR be more involved in protecting and assisting IDPs, or should an alternative mechanism be established?
A: We think all the key operational agencies, not only the UNHCR, should be consistently involved in supporting the collaborative responses for IDPs. All these agencies have unique operational experience, and UNHCR has special expertise in protection and return. Effective collaboration will depend on active collaboration; real collaboration; and consistent collaboration. A major problem we face is a lack of consistent involvement by major humanitarian agencies in the issue of IDPs - in some cases there is assistance and in others there isn't any.
Q: Specifically what activities is the IAIDD involved in to address the needs of IDPs?
A: The division has been charged to look at seven or eight key countries where there are major IDP problems, over a one- to two-year period. We are reviewing the problem in specific countries, such as DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], Uganda, Liberia, Sudan and Somalia, for example, to identify what can be done to strengthen the operational response of agencies to assist IDPs. We are not only working with UN agencies but also with NGOs, the Red Cross, etc, and looking at the role of host authorities as well as donors.
In terms of whether we have any 'teeth', what we have is an inter-agency mechanism that can make recommendations to agencies and donors. Working under the aegis of OCHA, we have the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, who can take these recommendations forward and ensure that they are acted upon.
Q: Could you identify where IDPs are most vulnerable or where they need most support?
A: Basic relief in all sectors, especially - and by definition - IDPs need shelter. Often they also have an urgent need for protection, and for longer-term rehabilitation and recovery support. Geographically, the big areas of concern are obviously Sudan - north, south and Darfur - DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], Uganda, Colombia, Liberia and Somalia; they are all significant areas of concern. Somalia has been more neglected than other countries in some ways. Burundi and, possibly, Nepal are also emerging as worrying hotspots.
A new dimension is those displaced by the tsunami, which may become a major issue - I mean dealing with people displaced by natural disasters, which can be a more complicated issue when they start to return home.
Q: If national governments sometimes fail to protect and assist IDPs, is this primarily due to a shortage of resources, to political reasons, or lack of awareness, or are there other reasons?
A: Of course, sometimes the national authorities are directly responsible themselves for causing displacement. There may be a lack of resources because the country is generally impoverished, and lack of protection may also be due to lack of capacity, but also, the government itself is often part of the reason for displacement. A grave problem facing IDPs is their lack of profile - they simply don't have the same profile, attention and donor support as refugees.
Q: If and when IDPs are able to return to their home areas, what specific problems or risks do they face?
A: You have the risk of a cycle of displacement after return. If basic services and structures are not in place … and if people cannot get land or find work, you are more likely to have secondary displacement and lawlessness. These are classic symptoms of return to areas without structures; in these situations you have a risk of continued instability.
Q: Having previously worked for many years with UNHCR, dealing with refugees, and now with your present responsibilities for IDPs, are there aspects that have made a strong impact on you?
A: The main impact is seeing very clearly the lack of consistency and institutional mechanisms available to deal with IDPs. This is a major dilemma, and this is why this Division and OCHA are clearly supporting the collaborative response - currently we are very dependent on the goodwill of key operational agencies to provide the support that IDPs need. Clearly, this is nowhere near enough.
From a personal point of view, I have been very struck by the communities of IDPs that I have visited. They are the poorest of the poor - among the most vulnerable of already impoverished communities. They don't get any attention, are hidden away and, often, very neglected.
[ENDS]
|