(Re)integration of Internally Displaced Persons in Urban Settings

Internal displacement has long been an urban phenomenon, with an estimated 60% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) now living in cities. While urban areas may offer safety, services and opportunity, they also expose displaced populations to heightened risks to the enjoyment of their human rights such as legal invisibility, inadequate housing, discrimination, and exclusion from public life.

This event will feature Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, presenting key findings from her latest report to the UN General Assembly on (re)integration of IDPs in urban settings.

Following the presentation, an expert panel will discuss the role of locally led and rights-based approaches to (re)integration implemented by local authorities, civil society and international partners.

Columbia ID holders can join the event in person or virtually. Due to campus restrictions, other guests may only join online.

Panelists

• Daniel Naujoks, SIPA Professor & Coordinator, Committee on Forced Migration, Columbia Global (Moderator)
• Sivanka Dhanapala, Director, UNHCR New York Office
• Fernando Travesi, Executive Director of the International Center for Transitional Justice
• Caitlin Sturridge, Senior Research Fellow Displacement, ODI Global (remotely from Nairobi)
• TBD, UNDP

Committee on Forced Migration

The Columbia University Committee on Forced Migration was created by the Columbia Global Centers as a response to the dramatic increase in the number of forced migrants and migration crises around the world. The Committee seeks to maximize Columbia’s ability to act as a platform to engage, support, and share information across its community of faculty, students, and staff on issues related to forced migration.