United Nations
Development Programme

Plot 15B Clement Hill Road

P.O Box 7184

Kampala, Uganda

Tel: (256) 414-233440/1/2/5

Fax: (256) 414-344801

Email: registry.ug@undp.org

The African Union Special Summit on refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons (IDP) opened in Kampala, October 19 with a call to African leaders to improve governance if the problem of refugees and internal displacement is to be fundamentally addressed in the continent. The theme of the Summit is “African Union addressing the challenge of forced displacement in Africa.”

Hosted by the Government of Uganda with support from partners like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Summit is touted as the first of its kind on issues of protection of IDPs.

Speaking during the opening of the Executive Council (ministers responsible for issues of refugees and internally displaced person in the AU countries), the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Julia Dolly joiner said the problem of displacement cannot be solved by humanitarian aid alone.

“Improvement in governance, rapid economic development, appropriate strategies for security, including food security will ensure that the root causes of displacement are addressed,” she said.

It is estimated that Africa has 22million refugees and displaced persons, a majority of them victims of armed conflict. A small proportion is displaced by natural disasters such as floods and drought. Experts say the numbers of persons displaced by natural disasters are set to rise in the continent in the coming years owing to climate change.

Countries named to have large numbers of IDPs in the Africa region include Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The meeting expected to bring about 20 heads of states and government from around the continent will deliberate and adopt The Kampala Declaration on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons that will guide protection and recovery efforts of IDPs. The two-day summit is also expected to adopt a Convention for the Protection and Assistance of IDPs in Africa. It will be the first legally binding international instrument on internal displacement having such continental scope, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Around Africa, UNDP is involved in early recovery, disarmament and demobilization, elimination of small arms and light weapons and mine action in post conflict areas with the sole aim to facilitate re-insertion and resettlement of previously displaced people.

In Uganda, UNDP has especially in the last 5 years worked in northern Uganda to resettle over 2million people displaced by the war. Major efforts have gone into:

·         Rapid Needs Assessment to ascertain the return and recovery needs

·         Creating a conducive environment for return and reintegration of IDPs through capacity building of government and other players to respond to the needs, Mine Risk education, Mine clearance, victim support, among others

·         Responding to the prioritized recovery needs identified by turning communities through quick impact projects

·         Support to the development and implementation of the recovery strategies

·         Coordinating early recovery efforts during the humanitarian phase