According to this report, the majority of IDPs across the world remain trapped in protracted displacement and face many obstacles in rebuilding their lives.
Speaker Events - Friday, May 01, 2009
Internal Displacement Still at Record High, Says New Report
According to a comprehensive new report, the number of people internally displaced by conflict and violence is holding at approximately 26 million worldwide.
"This is the highest number since the mid 90s and it's continuing a peak figure from 2007," said Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The report—launched May 1st at IPI and issued by the Norwegian Refugee Council's Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre—gives a complete analysis of the plight of IDPs and the response by the international community. According to this report, the majority of IDPs across the world remain trapped in protracted displacement and face many obstacles in rebuilding their lives.
"The number of internally displaced will rise significantly due to anticipated increases in the intensity and frequency of natural disasters," said John Holmes, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "That is why we need to focus urgently on finding appropriate solutions for IDPs to end their displacement and their dependence on relief assistance."
Mr. Holmes joined Ms. Rasmusson and António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a panel discussion at the report launch.
IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen gave the opening remarks at the event, and Warren Hoge, IPI Vice President and Director of External Relations, made welcoming remarks.
Read transcript of panel discussion (.doc)
Download full report (.pdf)
Related News Article:
Philippines had most displaced people in 2008-study (Reuters)
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The panel at the report launch, from left to right: John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator; António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council; and Warren Hoge, Vice President and Director of External Relations, International Peace Institute. | ||||||
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The Global Observatory
Interview with John Prendergast, Co-Founder, Enough Project
Mr. Prendergast discusses the international justice system and the new ground forged by Invisible Children's Kony2012 campaign.
Key Global Events to Watch in May
A list of key upcoming meetings and events with implications for global affairs.
The Global Observatory is a new website by IPI, providing timely analysis on peace and security issues, interviews with leading policymakers, interactive maps, and more.
Recent Events
May 10, 2012
Arbour: What the Rule of Law Means
“In my understanding of the rule of law, fundamentally, what the rule of law means is that it embraces the principle of equality before the law,” Louise Arbour, president of the International Crisis Group (ICG), told an IPI audience on May 10, 2012. Ms. Arbour outlined that this means that no one is above the law and everyone has both equal protection and equal benefit of the law. 
May 03, 2012
Shachtman: Cyber Threats Akin to South Bronx, Not Pearl Harbor
“There’s not a danger of a cyber Pearl Harbor… it’s more like the South Bronx circa 1999, where there’s a danger that it becomes such a tough neighborhood that no one wants to set up shop there and people move out,” Noah Shachtman, editor of the Danger Room blog at Wired magazine and non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, told an IPI audience at a panel on cyber security on May 3, 2011.
April 27, 2012
Preventing Conflicts in Africa: The Role of Early Warning and Response Systems
An April 27th roundtable discussion at IPI titled “Preventing Conflicts in Africa: The Role of Early Warning and Response Systems” examined the progress, prospects and challenges of regional and international early warning and response mechanisms to monitor, anticipate, and mitigate potential conflict situations in Africa.