Press conference: High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement
/
2:27
/
MP4
/
181.2 MB

Edited News | UNOG

Press conference: High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement

As Geneva prepares to host its first ever high-level panel on Internal Displacement, the co-chair of the panel called the issue “a major humanitarian and political crisis of our times.”

To put internal displacement back on the agenda and shift global focus to the millions of people displaced within their own countries, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres established the first high-level panel to address this issue in October 2019. Federica Mogherini, co-chair of this panel told journalists that even though “the issue of internal displacement tends to be forgotten”, she stressed that it is “one of the major, not only humanitarian, but also political, crisis that our times are seeing.”

Scheduled to hold its first meeting on 26 February 2020, the Secretary-General has tasked the panel with finding concrete long-term solutions and to raise global awareness of internal displacement by improving efforts to help all those affected, including both the displaced and their host communities. Ms. Mogherini, listed one of the panel’s tasks as addressing main drivers of displacement, and delving into the reasons why displacement occurs, of which she listed the three main causes as “climate change, disaster risk reduction, and peace action.” She told journalists that the panel has also been tasked with linking “the IDP issue and the 2030 agenda” so as to be able to understand how to “improve the collection of data and the analysis of the phenomenon” as she stressed that “the issue of recognition of the phenomenon is itself the first step to address it.” The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also promises to “leave no one behind”. It incorporates internal displacement issues into its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically including IDPs as a vulnerable group that must not be left behind.

Ms. Mogherini worried that the numbers of internally displaced persons have been increasing every year, noting that “41 million people have been displaced by conflict only” in the last year, and millions more are become internally displaced every year “as a consequence of natural disasters or climate-related events.”

The high-level panel draws together expertise from government, international organizations, civil society and the private sector, as focusing only on short-term humanitarian assistance, and narrow goals, have proven to be inadequate, unsustainable, and unsuited to the protracted nature of many IDP crises, according to Donald Kaberuka who maintains that internal displacement is a global problem occurring in all continents, and therefore it requires a global solution. Mr. Kaberuka told journalists that it was not possible “to separate development, environment, and security” and that to be able to respond adequately to the problem, all three must be addressed together, as “we would be failing the Secretary-General if we did not address the issue of climate impact,” he said, stressing the need to make climate change a priority, as well as the urgent need to “bring the international community together to make sure that we resolve this.”

“Internally displaced persons are among the most vulnerable and face a variety of risks to their lives, health and well-being. And ever more people are displaced for longer periods of time, undermining the efforts of affected countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” said the Secretary-General in a statement on establishing the High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement. The Panel will convene at least four times in Geneva, New York and other locations, and will submit its final recommendations to the Secretary-General in one year.

  1. Wide shot: exterior, flag alley, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.
  2. Wide shot, press briefing room
  3. Medium shot, panel
  4. SOUNDBITE (EN) Federica Mogherini, Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement: The issue of internal displacement tends to be forgotten while it is one of the major, not only humanitarian, but also I would say, political crisis that our times are seeing.”
  5. Close-up: journalists
  6. SOUNDBITE (EN) Federica Mogherini, Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement: “The terms of reference indicate the need for us to address the link between internal displacement and climate change, disaster risk reduction, and peace action, as we see these three as the main drivers of displacement.”
  7. Close-up: journalists writing
  8. SOUNDBITE (EN) Federica Mogherini, Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement: “We are talking about numbers that are increasing every year. Only for reasons of conflict, we are talking about 41 million people internally displaced, and to this you have to add the internally displaced people that are moving as a consequence of natural disasters or climate-related events.”
  9. Medium shot: journalists
  10. SOUNDBITE (EN) Federica Mogherini, Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement: “We’ve been tasked to link and to study the link between the IDP issue and the 2030 agenda, so to understand how to include this work into the sustainable development agenda, obviously looking at how we can improve the collection of data and the analysis of the phenomenon; the issue of recognition of the phenomenon is itself the first step to address it.”
  11. Close-up: camera
  12. SOUNDBITE (EN) Donald Kaberuka, Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement: “It is not really possible to separate development, environment, and security especially if you focus on where the big numbers are coming from, so we would be failing the Secretary-General if we did not address the issue of climate impact, and try to go beyond that to show this link and what the international community can do together to make sure that we resolve this.”
  13. Close-up shot: journalist writing
  14. Medium shot: journalists, panel
  15. Close-up: journalist

Similar Stories

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned of the risk of the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalating throughout the Great Lakes sub-region, following the recent takeover of Goma city by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

DR Congo - Human Rights Council  Special Session

1

1

1

Edited News | HRC

DR Congo - Human Rights Council Special Session ENG FRA

UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed profound concerns at the ongoing violent escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused by the ongoing Rwanda-backed M23 offensive. “If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders,” he told a Special Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS

1

1

1

Edited News | UNAIDS

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS ENG FRA

US aid funding cuts create confusion, put HIV prevention at risk, says UNAIDS 

The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, despite the waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Friday.

US aid funding cuts,  UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG

1

1

1

Edited News | UNFPA , OCHA , UNOG

US aid funding cuts, UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG ENG FRA

UN agencies offered a dire assessment on Tuesday about the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

OPT humanitarian update  - UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

OPT humanitarian update - UNRWA ENG FRA

While West Bank camp is destroyed, UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza

Large swathes of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have been completely destroyed following a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday raised the alarm about the growing human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar ENG FRA

At the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and the head of UN Human Rights Myanmar team James Rodehaver, describedunprecedented levels of killing in 2024, four years since the coup.

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNRWA

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still helping the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.

DRC humanitarian update OCHA - WFP - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WFP , WHO

DRC humanitarian update OCHA - WFP - WHO ENG FRA

Goma: ‘Critical’ moment for population caught in crossfire – UN humanitarians

In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), civilians caught up in heavy fighting face a “critical” 24 hours, with food and water running low and aid unable to enter, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

Holocaust remembrance day

1

1

1

Edited News | UNOG

Holocaust remembrance day ENG FRA

Nazi death camp survivor Ivan Lefkovits shared harrowing testimony of his experiences on Monday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a timeless message for present and future generations: “Don't be neutral, especially not towards human suffering." 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said it was “deeply concerned by the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank”, as part of an ongoing Israeli military operation.

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani briefing on DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani briefing on DRC ENG FRA

“We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” Ravina Shamdasani said.