DEC/35/101 Panel discussion on the human rights of internally displaced persons in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

GE.17-11806(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 3

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017

35/101. Panel discussion on the human rights of internally displaced

persons in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the

Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

At its 34th meeting, on 22 June 2017, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt

the text below:

“The Human Rights Council,

Recalling all previous resolutions on internally displaced persons adopted by the

General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council,

Deeply disturbed by the alarming scale, complexity and protracted nature of internal

displacements throughout the world, for reasons including violations and abuses of human

rights, violations of international humanitarian law, armed conflict, persecution, violence

and terrorism, as well as natural and human-made disasters, in which internally displaced

persons receive inadequate protection and assistance, and conscious of the serious

challenges that this is creating for the people affected, including the host communities, and

for the international community,

Conscious of the human rights, humanitarian, development and possible

peacebuilding dimensions of internal displacement, including in long-term displacement

situations, the often heightened vulnerability of women and children, as well as of older

persons and persons with disabilities, and the responsibilities of States and the international

community to further strengthen their protection and assistance, including by respecting

and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all internally displaced

persons, with a view to finding durable solutions,

Noting that 2018 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on

Internal Displacement, and reaffirming the recognition of the Guiding Principles as an

important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons,

Affirming that the above-mentioned anniversary offers an important opportunity to

reflect on the promotion and protection of the human rights of internally displaced persons

and on the achievements, best practices and challenges with regard to the application of the

Guiding Principles,

1. Decides to convene, at its thirty-eighth session, a panel discussion on the

human rights of internally displaced persons, in commemoration of the twentieth

anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, with a particular focus on

their application and on achievements, best practices and challenges in this regard, as well

as on recommendations to meet these challenges, and also decides that the discussion shall

be fully accessible to persons with disabilities;

2. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights to organize the panel discussion from within existing resources, in consultation with

States, relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, treaty bodies, special procedures, in

particular the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, and

regional human rights mechanisms, as well as with civil society, non-governmental

organizations and national human rights institutions, with a view to ensuring their

participation in the panel discussion;

3. Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare and submit a

summary report on the panel discussion to the Human Rights Council at its fortieth

session.”

[Adopted without a vote.]