By Timothy Nsubuga

10^th Dec 2012:

IDP Camps in Northern Uganda

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani has applauded Africa leaders for passing the world’s first ever international convention to protect the rights of internally displaced persons.

Africa has “achieved a milestone and demonstrated its leadership,” Beyani said on December 6.  “I believe that the significance of the Kampala Convention goes beyond Africa,” said the UN Special Rapporteur.

Whereas international conventions exist on behalf of people termed refugees after they’ve been driven across international borders, there had been no binding protections for IDPs.

As such, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, as the instrument is formally called, serves as an “international model,” said Mr. Beyani.  “Today, Africa has achieved a milestone and demonstrated its leadership in addressing one of the most pressing humanitarian issues in the world.”

The Convention represents the culmination of over two decades of work during which governments, civil society and the international community have sought to improve the way the plight of millions of internally displaced persons across the globe are addressed.

While the Convention is applicable and binding only in Africa, IDPs vastly outnumber refugees in the continent. What’s more, Africa accounts for 10 million of the 26 million people worldwide who were driven from their homes by conflict or human rights-related violence in 2011.

According to Mr. Beyani, the Convention provides a “solid legal framework for dealing with many of the complex dynamics of internal displacement in Africa today.”

Adopted at an AU summit in the Ugandan capital Kampala in 2009,  the Convention required ratification by 15 member countries before it could enter into force.  Swaziland became the 15th country to do so on 12 November.

Other countries that ratified the Convention include Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. At least 37 AU members have also signed the Convention but have yet to ratify it.

Highlights in the Convention

The Convention sets out the obligations of the State parties, the African Union, international organizations, and members of armed groups, “…to prevent displacement, protect and assist people once displacement has occurred, and to find lasting solutions to displacement.”

Under the Convention, States also have “specific obligations to allocate resources, adopt national policies and strategies, and enact or amend national laws to ensure that displacement is prevented, and that IDPs are protected and supported until they reach a sustainable solution to their displacement.”

If implemented well, the Convention can help States and the African Union address both current and potential future internal displacement related not only to conflict, but also natural disasters and other effects of climate change.  END: Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

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