A/HRC/13/21
I. Introduction
1.
This is the final report of Walter Kälin, who in 2010 ends his second term as
Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced
persons. He expresses his appreciation to the Human Rights Council, its members and
observers for the trust and cooperation extended to him.
2.
The mandate, established in 2004 by the Commission on Human Rights and
extended in 2007 by the Human Rights Council in resolution 6/32, has provided a good
basis for the Representative to build on the excellent work of his predecessor, Francis
Deng. The nature of his mandate has allowed the Representative to benefit from privileged
access, broad support and partnerships with United Nations institutions, member States,
civil society and other stakeholders.1 It has been critical that the Representative has
succeeded in linking the mandate to a broader international context inclusive of peace
processes, humanitarian assistance and development, natural disasters and climate change.
3.
The many activities the Representative has been requested to carry out include
engaging in dialogues with governments, mainstreaming the human rights of internally
displaced persons into the United Nations system and working towards strengthening the
national, regional and international response to internal displacement. Since no other entity
in the United Nations system has a mandate to protect the rights of internally displaced
persons, the Representative’s work has been far-reaching and has required his sustained
engagement. The regular support provided to him by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is gratefully acknowledged. However, to
maximize the impact of the multifaceted mandate, the Representative has also relied on the
additional substantive and logistical support provided by the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) with whom the Representative has built fruitful partnerships. The
Representative’s memorandums of understanding with both offices have improved the flow
of information and exchange of expertise and allowed the Representative to place support
staff in both, supplementing the staff support he receives from OHCHR. The close
interaction at the working level has allowed the Representative to introduce a perspective
on the rights of internally displaced persons into the work of these bodies at a policy and
operational level.
4.
The Representative cooperates effectively with other United Nations agencies, in
particular the Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and also the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children in Armed
Conflict. Within the Secretariat, the Representative has maintained close contacts with the
Secretary-General and his Executive Office, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the
Department of Political Affairs, including its Mediation Support Unit, the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Office of Legal
Affairs. He has also received support from other agencies, including the World Food
Programme, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM) and has benefited from logistical, security and other support from
different peacekeeping and political missions.
5.
The Representative owes special gratitude to the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal
Displacement, its Directors Roberta Cohen and Elisabeth Ferris, its staff, and its donors. In
addition to greatly advancing the overall understanding and awareness of internal
1
GE.10-10161
See A/64/214, para. 34.
3
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