Internally Displaced People: UN Secretary General’s Action Agenda

13 July 2022

A few days ago, UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the new Action Agenda on Internally Displaced People. 

Last week, a new action agenda on internal displacement was presented by the UN Secretary-General. This represents an extremely important step toward the protection of civilians affected by conflicts: currently, more than 59 million people are displaced around the world as a consequence of different crises, which represents the highest number ever registered. The goal of the agenda is to emphasize the common commitment of UN Agencies and Entities toward the protection of these people.

More precisely, the agenda establishes that in order to help internally displaced persons (IDPs), the international community needs to prevent the emergence of future displacement crises, and guarantee that those who are currently experiencing displacement receive effective assistance. Moreover, the Agenda recognizes the importance of humanitarian action as fundamental for supporting civilians affected by armed conflicts; however, it is also necessary to strengthen the cooperation between UN agencies and external actors - NGOs, civil society, and displaced communities -, as in the current crisis, humanitarian aid alone is not enough. Furthermore, to have a more effective approach, the UN Secretary-General established a “Steering Group on Solutions to Internal Displacement”, composed of five organizations - DCO, IOM, OCHA, UNDP and UNHCR – for developing the Action Agenda. 

Overall, the Agenda represents an example of cooperation among UN Agencies in order to achieve a common goal; this crucial step is necessary now more than ever as current conflicts all over the world are forcing more and more people to leave their houses, who need to be protected.

 

To read more, visit:

 

by Alexia Tenneriello