Profile of the Organisation 

Africa internally Displaced Persons Voice (Africa IDP Voice) is a leading continental NGO in Africa in raising awareness on the protection, assistance and development plight of internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)  and promoting their effective protection in Africa. The IDPs Voice was created in 2001 with its headquarter in Lusaka, Zambia. 

Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice (Africa IDP Voice)   addresses the human rights, humanitarian, security and development concerns of internally displaced persons (IDPs), through advocacy for the promotion of the explicit human rights of IDPs aimed the establishment of a legal, policy and institutional framework for the protection and assistance at national and regional levels aimed at poverty eradication in Africa. Africa IDP Voice takes cognizance of the fact that poverty reduction and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be tenable in situations where internal displacement spills over borders and upset national and regional stability. Founded in 2001, Africa IDP Voice also takes cognizance of HIV/AIDS as serious epidemic and thrives in environment of social exclusion in which all IDPs live. Africa IDP Voice works for the respect and promotion of the explicit human rights of IDPs in Africa. It also works to promote peace and security as pre-condition for addressing the problem of internal displacement and its consequences. 

Our Mission:

Africa IDP Voice’s mission is to promote and protect human rights of IDPs through state accountability where IDP rights are upheld.

Our Vision

Africa IDP Voice’s vision is to have a world free from internal displacement.

The Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice  (Africa IDP Voice) is responsible for raising awareness on the protection, assistance and development plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the continent and through which concrete solidarity is expressed for those Internally Displaced by conflicts, violation of human rights, disasters, both natural and man made all over the continent. The essential over riding mission is to foster links among state authorities and humanitarian actors and to make effective contributions to the improved response to IDPs and monitoring of the protection and humanitarian policy of IDPs in Africa. 

Overall Objective 

To proactively facilitate establishment of legal, policy, and institutional framework for improved assistance and protection mechanism for IDPs at national and regional level. 

Mandate 

The Africa IDP Voice has several areas of intervention in addressing the plight of Displaced Persons (IDPs) by working with national governments, sub-regional and international organizations and other stakeholders. The following are some of the project’s main areas of interventions: 

1. Support the national and regional authorities in developing national assistance and protection policy on the displaced.
   
   The policy which outlines who the IDPs are in their own rights and entitlements, condition of return or resettlement, roles and responsibilities with the government for responding to IDP needs and clear coordination mechanism with international organizations and local Non-Governmental Organizations.
    
2.  Support in developing and implementation of:

   1. An agreement on basic principles for IDPs protection and assistance.

   2.  A common IDP response strategy.

   3. An effective division of labour at national and regional level among humanitarian, human rights and development
      actors to cover IDP protection and assistance needs in a comprehensive and efficient manner; and
       

   4. undertake regular assessment of the effectiveness of ongoing IDP activities undertaken by national and regional authorities and other stakeholders. In support of the authorities, identify gaps in IDP protection assistance or coordination and propose recommendation for improvement to government and other stakeholders.
       

3. Provide guidance and advice on issues related to internal displacement and ensure that programme and policy decision adequately and consistently take into account specific requirement of IDPs within the overall humanitarian and development framework.
4. Advocate to the national authorities in discharging their primary responsibility for the protection and assistance of IDPs.
5. Establish a humanitarian information centre in the development of internal displacement qualitative and quantitive data collection mechanism including providing guidance on the implementation of standardized assessment and information gathering for tracking and responding of IDP requirement their movement and reintegration. Support advocacy effort both at national and regional level to raise awareness of the crises as well as reinforce commitment of authorities and other actors to respect the human rights of IDPs. 

How Africa IDP is Managed

Structure:

The General Assembly, International Council, sub-committees on Advocacy, relief, Protection and Secretariat forms the administration and management structure. 

Secretariat 

The headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia is responsible for the day to day implementation and monitoring of the continental operations including coordination of the strategic plan and work programme. Country offices are responsible for country programmes. The Executive Director and his/her team manage it. 

Membership 

Individual and institutional membership is open to all irrespective of race, age or agenda 

WHY FOCUS EXPLICITLY ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT? 

Internal displacement is a pressing issue in nearly every country in the region. Much needs to done at national and regional level to effectively address the protection and assistance needs of the internally displaced and to set the stage for durable solutions to their plight. To reinforce these efforts, regional and international policies and programmes can prove valuable, hence the call to incorporate the Guiding Principles on internal displacement into international instruments and national laws. 

It is recognized that, although refugees and IDPs are closely intertwined and often face similar problems, IDPs are nonetheless not accorded legal protection and hence assistance is often unavailable, uncoordinated or inadequate. This is against a backdrop of increased incidences of internal displacement arising from human and natural causes.   Therefore, there is need for IDPs to seek and receive assistance and protection from their governments and the international community as stipulated in the Guiding Principles. The Guiding Principles on internal displacement are the first international standards specifically tailored to the needs of IDPs.  

This initiative will explore the revision of existing legal definition of IDPs, to include those displaced for reasons other than conflict, calling for special protection of IDPs with particular vulnerabilities.

In this respect, it is vital to initiate programmes that would improve national laws and policies for IDPs. It is in the quest to promote the enactment of better laws and policies that can meet the challenges of the rising incidences of internal displacement in the Africa.  

Arising from the recognition that upholding the human rights of all citizens including IDPs and providing assistance to IDPs are central to conflict resolution, the Africa IDP Voice has been actively engaged in addressing issues of internal displacement and the concomitant effects of human insecurity at local and regional levels. Since 2002, a number of programmes have been undertaken on IDP field situations as well as networking with other organizations and stakeholders. 

Framework for National Responsibility 

 FRAMEWORK FOR NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY is advocated by Africa IDP Voice, which sets forth benchmarks for addressing internal displacement. 

Taken collectively, these benchmarks constitute a framework  for action for fulfilling national and regional  responsibility institutions of internal displacement. 

1. Prevention

Africa IDP Voice works to ensure that Governments in Africa assumes responsibility to prevent and avoid conditions on their territory that might lead to population displacement, to minimize unavoidable and mitigate its adverse and ensure  that any displacement that does occur lasts no longer than required by circumstance.  

2. Raising awareness of the Problem

Africa IDP Voice works to ensure government’s acknowledgement of the existence of the problem on their territories and of their responsibility to address them are essential first steps towards an effective national response. Recognition of internal displacement also requires raising awareness about the problem, building a national consensus around the issue and making efforts to address the crisis a national priority. 

3. Data Collection

Africa IDP Voice works to ensure that credible information on the number, location and conditions of the internally displaced as it is essential in designing effective policies and programs to address their needs and protect their rights. 

4. Training on the Rights of IDPs

v     Africa IDP Voice carries out trainings in principles of protection to government officials, Military personnel and Civil Police, Chiefs and traditional Leaders, Media, Parliamentarians, Civil Society and NGOs, Private sector, Humanitarian workers, the Church, Local Authorities, Lawyers and Human Rights activists a  on the rights of IDPs to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities for protecting and assisting the internally displaced, as part of building government capacity and accountability to effectively fulfill these responsibilities.  

5. National  and Regional Legal Framework Upholding the Rights of IDPs

Because protection is, fundamentally, a legal concept, developing a national legal framework upholding the rights of IDPs is a particularly important reflection of national responsibility as well as vehicle for its fulfillment. 

The adoption of legislation on internal displacement has proved valuable in defining IDPs, setting forth their rights and establishing the obligation of government towards them. Whichever approach is taken, national legislation on internal displacement should be in line with international standards, as set forth in the guiding principles. 

6. National and Regional Policy or Plan of Action on Internal Displacement

The adoption of a national policy or plan of action on internal displacement is a distinct though complementary, measure to the enactment of national legislation.  

      7.   National and Regional Institutional Focal Point for IDPs 

Designating a national and regional institutional focal point on internal displacement can be essential to ensuring sustained attention to the problem and also to facilitate coordination within and between governments and with local and international partners. 

8.   Role for National and Regional  Human Right Institutions 

It is well recognized that national human rights institutions make an important contribution to national efforts promoting and protecting human rights. They enjoy official recognition by government and also often command significant respect within national societies as they usually are headed by influential and eminent people including judges or respected human rights activists. Our objective is to ensure that National Human Rights Institutions incorporate the human rights of IDPsin their works. 

9. Participation by IDPs in Decision-Making

Internally displaced persons have the rights to request and to receive, protection and humanitarian assistance from their governments. An environment must exist where IDPs can make their views known without risk of punished or harm. IDPs    are best to know their needs and way of addressing them.

Special attention is paid to ensuring the participation of internally displaced women in IDP consultations and in any formal decision-making structures. That Consultations with the displaced occurs in all phase of displacement. In particular any decision for relocation of the displaced are to be taken in consultant with those affected and should involved the displaced, particularly women in the planning and managing. 

10. Durable Solution

      National responsibility for internal displacement extends to ensuring that IDPs

      Have access to a durable solution to their plight. This mean making every

      Possible effort to facilitate the return or resettlement of IDPs in accordance with their rights. 

11. Adequate Resource

Carrying out policies and programs for IDPs and providing them with necessary assistance (including food, aid, shelter, medical care education. Reintegration assistance etc) as well as ensuring their physical security inevitably require human and material resources. Africa IDP Voice works to lobby for allocation of adequate resources by donors and governments towards IDP work, in particular ensuring that donors have deliberate donor policies for IDPs.

12. Cooperation with International and Regional Organisations

When governments do not have the capacity to provide for security and well being of their displaced populations, they should as an exercise of responsible sovereignty, invite or accept international assistance and work together with international as well as regional organization in addressing the protection and assistance needs of the displaced and identifying durable solution to their plight. Africa IDP Voice works to ensure the presence of  explicit focal structure for IDPs. 

The objective is to have IDP policies on the protection of IDPs. A policy framework would take the following into consideration: 

ü      Examine the nature and content of protection for IDPs;

ü      Set out a number of strategic areas of activity for ensuring that these protection responsibilities are discharged effectively;

ü      An analysis of the responsibilities for action;

ü      Develop basic principles for allocating responsibilities in specific-country situations in the hope of increasing the predictability of response and facilitating ways in addressing gaps.