Chapter

The African contribution to the protection of internally displaced persons : a commentary on the 2009 Kampala Convention

Moetsi Duchatellier and Catherine Phuong

Research handbook on international law and migration

Cheltenham ; Northampton : E. Elgar, 2014

p. 650-667

English

With the adoption on 22 October 2009 of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons in Africa - also known as the Kampala Convention - Africa has acted as a pioneer in the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs). This convention, which entered into force on 6 December 2006, is the first, and for now only, continent-wide legally binding instrument on the protection of IDPs. The article recalls the process that led to the adoption of the Kampala Convention and the sources and initiatives upon which it was built. It describes the comprehensive framework of protection provided and the responsibilities it creates for the actors involved in the displacement phenomenon (States, non-state armed groups, the African Union and humanitarian actors). The authors conclude by presenting the challenges to overcome in order to successfully implement the Convention.

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• Research handbook on international law and migration / ed. by Vincent Chetail and Céline Bauloz