HB+UNHCR+France+2

Country: France Committee: UNHCR Delegate: Kathryn Reuter

Topic Two: Internationally Displaced Persons

An Internationally Displaced Person (IDP) is defined by the Guiding Principles on International Displacement as “persons or groups of persons who have been forced obligated to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.” The UN report Guiding Principles on International Displacement deliberately does not use a strict definition, but a looser and flexible classification of IDPs. The major difference between IDPs and Refugees is the fact that IDPs do not cross internationally recognize borders, therefore, they reside in their own country. This places IDPs under government, not international protection. Consequently, IDPs are not protected under refugee laws. Internationally Displaced Persons due to civil wars are of higher concern than those due to other causes because they are under the rule of the government that caused them to flee. IDPs due to civil war are unable to escape the violence of their homeland and receive the protection they would be granted if they were to cross borders and become refugees. The International Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates there to be approximately twenty-six million Internationally Displaced Persons in over fifty countries. Those countries generating IDPs due to civil war include: Turkey, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka, Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Burundi, Columbia, Somalia, and Cote d’Ivoire.
 * 1) Background:

While no UN Organization exists for the sole purpose of protecting IDPs, many agencies are involved in what’s known as the collaborative approach. This method of handling the issue of Internationally Displaced Persons shares the responsibility of protecting IDPs with the UN bodies. UNHCR plays a key role in addressing this issue as IDPs and Refugees, and the problems they face, are similar. While there are no laws or treaties concerning IDPs, one of the key documents used to aid IDPs is the Guiding Principles on International Displacement. This document is UN endorsed and has played a major role while addressing this issue. However, this document’s aid cannot reach those suffering from governmental neglect and international barriers. Because IDPs are under governmental control, the UN faces many barriers while trying to help them.
 * 1) UN Actions:

France does not currently have any IDPs particularly due to civil war. However, France does not support the idea of an international definition for an IDP not only caused by civil war, but in general an Internationally Displaced Person. While a nation nay set their own standards for IDPs, France does not recommend it. A narrowed or specific definition is only a write-off to those who are not included in these standards, while intentions are e to better aid and address the problem, the result is only the exclusion of individuals or groups who do not fall under that umbrella and are left standing out in the rain. In matters of IDPs due to civil wars, France urges the UN to focus at the root of the problem, not the products. In order to truly aid IDPs due to Civil Wars, we must focus our efforts on ending the civil wars. While this is a broad and general goal, it will, if succeeded and properly implemented, end IDPs due to civil war and eliminate them as an issue to HT UN.
 * 1) Country Policy/ Possible Solutions