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GP20 advances discussion on durable solutions in the IGAD region

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World
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Protection Cluster
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Over 100 government officials, National Human Rights Institution representatives, key experts, humanitarian practitioners, development actors and donors gathered in Addis Abeba on 7-8 October 2019 for an exchange of experiences on durable solutions for internally displaced persons in seven countries in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region.

Designed and convened by GP20 and IGAD with the support of the Global Protection Cluster, Switzerland and the AU, the aim was to promote exchange of experiences among IGAD member states and share lessons learned with the international community on supporting protection, resilience and durable solutions to internal displacement. It was IGAD`s first Regional Consultative Process on Migration meeting solely dedicated to internal displacement.

Key resource persons were Professor Walter Kaelin, Special Advisor to the RC/HC in Somalia and Ethiopia on Internal Displacement, Commissaire Maya Sahli Fadel, African Union Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants and IDPs, and Dr. Mehari Maru, Robert Schuman Fellow and Lead Consultant to IGAD, AU and GIZ. They laid the foundation for rich discussions and progressive recommendations.

Preliminary recommendations included to accelerate the ratification of the Kampala Convention, mainstream internal displacement in national planning processes and institutions, strengthen resilience of at-risk and displacement-affected communities, and include budgetary provisions for addressing internal displacement in national and sub-national budgets. The conference validated the whole of government, whole of society and multi-sector approach to achieve durable solutions.

GP20 will publish an event report with promising practices, key conclusions and recommendations on durable solutions to internal displacement that will feed into the African Union`s Project 2019 Commemorative Continental Meeting on the Kampala Convention in December 2019.

Lessons learnt will also be included in a global compilation of experiences on preventing, addressing and resolving internal displacement that will be published in 2020 as a product of the GP20 Plan of Action for IDPs (2018- 2020), and shared with the High Level Panel on Internal Displacement.

At the end of the event, Fathia Alwan, IGAD’s Director for Health and Social Development Division of IGAD, proposed a follow-up high-level meeting with decision makers on the Kampala Convention as well as meetings in IGAD member state capitals to accelerate ratification and implementation. IGAD will also publish a report of the event.