A/HRC/8/6 page 8 rehoused. He has also been informed of the adoption of Presidential decree No. 2475 in October 2007, providing for the allocation of large sums for the renovation of some displaced persons’ camps in rural areas and the relocation of persons who had taken refuge in schools or army premises. 25. The Representative encourages the Government to continue its efforts, drawing attention to the situation of thousands of displaced persons living in particularly difficult conditions in collective housing in the urban areas. He also urges the Government to give priority to programmes designed to increase displaced persons’ means of subsistence and make them more self-sufficient while giving them an opportunity to become active and productive members of their society once again. He also emphasizes the importance of measures to integrate displaced persons in the sectors of education and the economy so as to prevent any sense of marginalization and discrimination against this vulnerable group. 26. Lastly, the Representative calls on the international community to renew and step up its efforts to secure a peaceful solution, and to implement the resolutions of the Security Council which demand the withdrawal of occupying troops and support the return of displaced persons to their places of origin in safety and in dignity. He encourages the Government of Azerbaijan to continue its efforts to improve the living conditions of displaced persons in their current places of residence or elsewhere in the country, pending a solution to the conflict. Sri Lanka 27. At the invitation of the Government, the Representative paid an official visit to Sri Lanka from 14 to 22 December 2007. A detailed report by the Representative is being submitted to this Council session (A/HRC/8/6/Add.3). During his visit, the Representative went to Colombo and the districts of Puttalam, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. He was able to observe the complexity and scale of the phenomenon of internal displacement in Sri Lanka. Over the past two years, more than 300,000 people have been displaced because of the conflict. In Jaffna and Puttalam, northern Muslims have been in an internal displacement situation for more than 17 years. A very small number of persons displaced following the tsunami are still in Eastern Province. There is a risk that the intensification of fighting in the north of the country will prompt further displacements. 28. The purpose of the mission was to identify the main obstacles and the conditions which would enable the displaced persons to find durable solutions to their situation. Security is the major concern of both those who have returned home and those who are still displaced. There are a variety of sources of this insecurity, including the methods used by the security forces, such as round-ups; identification; failure to notify families why and where their relatives have been detained; the continuous incursions and attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), including the detonation of Claymore mines; threats and attacks by illegal armed groups, including Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP); enforced disappearances carried out by all the parties to the conflict and abductions by unidentified persons; looting; and partial demining. 29. Another issue requiring urgent attention is that of access to means of subsistence for displaced persons, which is still limited for security reasons. The Representative also considers that the Government should redouble its efforts to consult and share information not only with