A/HRC/38/39 B. Increased use of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement by the United Nations system 66. The United Nations system has an important role to play in promoting and advocating for the implementation of all international human rights law and standards, including the Guiding Principles. While they do not constitute treaty or hard law, they are nevertheless universally recognized as the core international standard on internal displacement, based on international human rights and humanitarian law, and consequently should be proactively promoted by the United Nations system. 18 Indeed, as a standard that encompasses human rights, humanitarian and development concerns and actors, there is a unique opportunity for the United Nations system to speak with one voice about the value of the Guiding Principles for the protection of internally displaced persons globally. 67. The Guiding Principles are frequently cited and actively used by United Nations agencies, such as UNHCR, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund, which have incorporated them into their policy and operational guidelines with regard to internal displacement and disseminated them among their staff. Equally, the treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms that monitor the implementation of the human rights conventions by States parties, such as the Human Rights Committee or the Committee on the Rights of the Child, have also referred to the Guiding Principles in their observations to States. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the efforts undertaken in this respect and hopes to maintain and enhance the attention given to the Guiding Principles across the United Nations system in this twentieth anniversary year and beyond. 68. OHCHR is encouraged to strengthen its presence and activities in humanitarian and internal displacement crises and bring much-needed human rights monitoring and implementation expertise to them, including in the context of protection clusters. Its presence and strengthened engagement in the issue of internal displacement would significantly enhance the capacity of the United Nations to address human rights concerns affecting internally displaced persons. C. Encouraging and facilitating international solidarity and assistance 69. The Special Rapporteur considers that much more can be done to build solidarity across and between States, with the objective of better responding to displacement crises and reducing internal displacement. Numerous States have a vast wealth of experience in dealing with internal displacement that could be of great value to others. Other States need rapid access to technical assistance and would benefit from access to the effective practices of those with experience in all aspects of responding to internal displacement. Some valuable experiences of solidarity and assistance across States have demonstrated the value of such exchanges, including for example the Government of Georgia sharing its experiences with Ukraine to assist the latter in its responses. D. Continuing and enhancing training for government officials 70. The annual course on the Law on Internal Displacement in San Remo, Italy, is organized by the International Institute for Humanitarian Law in cooperation with the Special Rapporteur and UNHCR. It is designed for government officials and the personnel of NGOs responsible for and dealing with issues relating to internally displaced persons. It responds to the increasing demand for information on and understanding of internal displacement and the applicable law. It includes lectures, case studies, simulations and practical exercises led by experts. Its objectives are to increase understanding of the international norms underpinning the protection of internally displaced persons; encourage 18 16 See Walter Kälin, “How hard is soft law? The guiding principles on internal displacement and the need for a normative framework”, presentation at the City University of New York Graduate Centre (December 2001).