01.  Internal Displacement  
  02.  Guiding Principles on
           Internal Displacement		  
  03.  Legal Database on
          the Guiding Principles		  
  04.  Representative of the
          UN Secretary-General		  
   
     
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Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Project

Through a unique agreement with the Representative of the Secretary-General (RSG) on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Walter Kälin, the Project works within the international policy system to promote the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement is housed within the Foreign Policy Studies Program at The Brookings Institution, a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions.

The Project’s main activities are advocacy and research in four areas: strengthening the normative framework for the protection of IDPs, enhancing the will to protect, building the capacity to protect, and responding to new challenges.

The Project, established in 1994, is co-directed by Walter Kälin, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of IDPs, and Elizabeth Ferris, a Brookings Senior Fellow.

Further information about the Project can be found at: www.brookings.edu/idp

Strengthening the Normative Framework to Protect IDPs

The Project works to strengthen the normative framework for the protection of the rights of IDPs through promoting of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, supporting their incorporation into national laws and regional organizations, and providing technical assistance to governments and international organizations.

An important element of this work involves creating guidelines and benchmarks that can be used by governments, regional and international organizations, and by humanitarian actors. In addition to the Guiding Principles, which have been translated into over 40 languages, the Project has developed Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters, a manual to assist lawmakers in developing laws and policies on internal displacement, and a framework for determining when internal displacement ends.

Enhancing the Will to Protect

Enhancing the will to protect of governments, regional organizations, and the international community involves raising awareness about the needs and rights of IDPs and translating that awareness into concrete policies and programs. The Project organizes conferences and workshops at the international, regional and national levels for those in a position to shape policies towards IDPs. These workshops bring together diverse groups, such as representatives from national and local governments, regional and international organizations, academic institutions, NGOs, civil society, IDP groups and the donor community in order to promote greater awareness of IDP issues and to formulate appropriate actions. The project has organized meetings around the world.

However, in order to move beyond dialogue, the Project supports RSG missions and working visits to specific countries, consults with regional organizations and ensures the wide distribution of its meeting reports and recommendations. Resource materials are disseminated in different languages and are available in both hard copy and electronically through the Project’s website and monthly E-newsletter.

Building the Capacity to Protect

Though countries and organizations may have the will to protect the rights of IDPs, it is imperative that they also have the capacity to do so. The Project works with governments, national human rights institutions, civil society, and IDPs to strengthen this capacity through the dissemination of manuals and guidelines, provision of technical assistance, and training and research programs.

The Project has continued its support of civil society programs around the world, including monitoring activities in Sri Lanka; legal clinics in Southern Sudan; training and courses in South Asia, East Africa, and Turkey; and workshops and lecture series on the Guiding Principles in various regions. The Project has also developed a course in IDP law for government officials in collaboration with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in Sanremo.

Responding to New Challenges

The research and analyses done by the Project inform policy debate, stimulates dialogue, and offers recommendations on emerging new issues. Currently, the Project is conducting research on giving voice to IDPs, the role of IDPs in peace processes, development-induced displacement, and dialogue with the Peace Building Commission, among other areas. All of the Project’s publications, including working papers, Congressional testimonies, web-based publications, journal articles, opinion pieces, and books, as well as reports and statements by the RSG are available on its website and are sent out in its monthly E-newsletter.

The Project also hosts meetings in Washington to discuss emerging issues. These events have included both round-tables and seminars with representatives from the US and other national governments, civil society, international organizations, and IDPs themselves. Featured presenters have included Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping at the United Nations (U.N.); Sadako Ogata, former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees; Andrew Natsios, Special U.S. Presidential Envoy to Sudan; Ambassador William Swing, Special Representative the U.N. Secretary-General to the DRC; as well as Geiler Gustavo Romaña Cuesta, President of the Association of Internally Displaced Afro-Colombians; Giorgi Kheviashvili, Georgian Minister of Refugees and Placement.

ISIM - The Institute for the Study of International Migration

The Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), founded in 1998, is part of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and affiliated with Georgetown University Law Center. ISIM focuses on all aspects of international migration, including the causes of and potential responses to population movements, immigration and refugee law and policy, comparative migration studies, the integration of immigrants into their host societies, and the effects of international migration on social, economic, demographic, foreign policy and national security concerns. ISIM also studies internal displacement, with particular attention to the forced movements of people who fear persecution.

ISIM provides balanced, interdisciplinary analysis of the complicated issues raised by international migration. The Institute conducts research and convenes symposia and conferences on U.S. immigration and refugee law and policies. It also undertakes comparative analysis of international migration issues affecting other countries, including various bilateral, regional, and multilateral approaches to migration and refugee policy. Understanding forced migration and responses to humanitarian emergencies is another important area of policy research.

The Institute is committed to building the next generation of experts on international migration. ISIM offers a certificate program at the Georgetown University Law Center and a Masters-level program at the School of Foreign Service for students who have a career interest in human rights and humanitarian issues, with special focus on refugee crises and post-conflict situations. The certificate program prepares students to work in international organizations, government and private agencies specializing in emergency relief, human rights and humanitarian activities. The Institute also provides work opportunities for students. Students are involved in the various activities undertaken by the Institute, including policy-oriented research, symposia and conferences of policy experts and government officials, site visits, and key informant interviews.

The Institute seeks to stimulate international migration research. ISIM convenes research symposia that provide an opportunity for the sharing of research in progress as well as finished projects. The Institute forms partnerships with researchers at other U.S. and foreign universities to foster exchange of research and to undertake cooperative projects. ISIM has also established a Visiting Scholars program for academics, policy makers and practitioners pursuing research on migration and refugee issues. In 2002, ISIM assumed the editorship of International Migration, one of the leading peer-reviewed journals in the field. Elżbieta Goździak serves as the Editor, and Susan Martin and Andrew Schoenholtz are members of the editorial committee.

ISIM has published widely on issues related to forced migration, including internal displacement. A list of recent publications is included below and is also available on ISIM’s website: