As crises multiply around the world, uprooting millions of people within the borders of their country, a group of states, UN agencies and partners have renewed their commitment to working collaboratively to reduce and resolve internal displacement.

At a meeting in Geneva on April 17, they launched a three-year plan of Action for Advancing Prevention, Protection and Solutions for Internally Displaced People (2018-2020). The meeting marked the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement – widely accepted as being the global standard for protecting and assisting internally displaced people (IDPs).

Internal displacement has been recognized as an issue of global concern since the early 1990s, but momentum to address it has been insufficient, despite all efforts. Meanwhile, the number of IDPs has been rising.

“Bold and ambitious steps are needed to face this complex human rights, humanitarian and development challenge. The Plan of Action seeks to galvanize a strategic dialogue, concerted action and adequate resources to address the plight of the internally displaced, while engaging them in the decisions that affect them,” said the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary.

At the end of 2016, over 40 million people were displaced inside their own countries by armed conflict, generalized violence or human rights violations – more than four times the population of London or New York City. In 2016, disasters caused an additional 24 million internal displacements. Every year, an estimated 15 million people are also displaced by development projects. Millions of other displacements are not systematically recorded, including from land grabs, criminal violence or drought.

“Addressing the protection needs of the forcibly displaced and seeking solutions to their plight contribute to greater stability for countries and whole regions,” noted UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “Similar to refugees, the internally displaced often face great uncertainty. They can be uprooted more than once as they seek opportunities to restart their lives, and risk being marginalized in the societies where they live. The consequences of our failure to resolve internal displacement can be devastating.”

“The international community has pledged to leave no one behind. That promise must extend to the millions of people internally displaced by armed conflict, violence and disasters. We will continue to work with affected governments and the displaced people themselves to ensure that their needs are addressed,” said Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Drafted under the leadership of the Special Rapporteur, UNHCR and UNOCHA, the multi-stakeholder Plan of Action calls on all relevant actors to step up efforts to prevent, respond to and resolve internal displacement.

To this end, it proposes concrete activities to facilitate and strengthen the participation of internally displaced people in the decisions that concern them, and expand national laws and policies on internal displacement. It recommends as well actions to improve data collection and analysis on displacement situations globally and scale up engagement on solutions for the internally displaced.

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Ugandan Members of Parliament led by Kilak North Member of Parliament (MP), Anthony Akol, have urged the World Bank to consider developing post-conflict reconstruction strategies that could help change lives of people affected by war throughout the world.

Speaking at the 2018 Global Parliamentary Conference at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC Tuesday, Akol said that the Bank has been fundamental in helping countries to end wars and insurgencies but that it has always neglected the element of post-war reconstruction.

“The World Bank intervenes in conflict areas but once peace is restored, they quickly halt all their operations without considering any plan of post conflict reconstruction for displaced people,” he said.

Akol said the World Bank should help poor communities in northern Uganda, South Sudan, Myanmar and Central African Republic, which have high poverty levels because they were affected by wars. “The citizens of these countries need support  to enable them attain a better life,” he said.

Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank Group welcomed MP Akol’s idea and promised that the notion of post war reconstruction was going to be adopted immediately.

Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County), and also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF, welcomed the move to adopt the idea of post war reconstruction and assured all members that Uganda was ready to take it up.

“I am happy that the Bank has conceived this as a very important issue and soon we shall be transforming many people in northern Uganda,” he said.
MP Nandala-Mafabi (Budadiri West) called on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to consider giving African countries better terms of trade.

He also noted that European countries access African raw materials cheaply and sell finished products to Africa at very high prices, hence exploitation of Africans.

At the Conference, panel sessions dealt with the issues of maximizing finance and development role of the private sector, conflict and violence, good governance and the role of legislators.

The Conference represents a unique assembly of national legislators and development institutions dedicated to addressing crucial questions in international development finance, including economic stability, achieving the sustainable development goals and pushing international development initiatives to new heights of awareness and potential.

This annual meeting on the international development calendar is the only parliamentary conference where nearly 200 legislators from around the world directly engage with World Bank Group President and IMF Managing Director Madame Christine Lagarde.

Uganda’s delegation is comprised of among other MPs John Baptist Nambeshe, Mbabazi Kyomuhendo, Pamela Kamugo and Mwine Mpaka.

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An unidentified staff of Makerere University is on the spot after he allegedly sexually assaulted a former student who had gone to have her academic transcript certified.

It is said Rachael Njeri, a former student of the College of Computing and Information Sciences under 13/U/2348/Eve, is accusing a lecturer in the same department of caressing her breasts and fondling her nether parts.

In photos posted, the ‘lecturer is seen ‘licking’ Njeri, while the girl is taking a ‘selfie’, allegedly as proof of the sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, Makerere University students who are currently on strike have vowed to ‘teach’ the lecturer a lesson.

Cases of sexual harassment have previously emerged at Makerere, with many being categorized as ‘sex for marks’, mostly in respect to the female students.

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