ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Concept Note
Panel on forced displacement on the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the African Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention): Review and prospects
Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa
I. Background
- This year marks 15 years since the African Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. This Convention is considered to be the only legally binding instrument on internal displacement in the world. To date, 33 countries have signed and ratified the Convention, 11 countries have only signed it, while there are still 11 other countries that have neither ratified nor signed the Convention.
- Over the past year, there has been a 13% increase in the number of displaced Africans. It is estimated that some 40.4 million Africans are forcibly displaced. This figure includes internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers, but more than 77% of these 40 million people are internally displaced.¹
- The figures for the first quarter of 2024 are even more alarming, with almost 20 million internally displaced people already living in very precarious conditions and, in some regions, with no access to aid or humanitarian assistance.
- The increase in the number of displaced persons brings with it many other challenges, particularly with regard to the long-term care of displaced persons. Initially intended to be temporary, internal displacements are becoming increasingly permanent and are on a larger scale than cross-border displacements. This is due in particular to the many causes of displacement, which often prevent people from returning to their original homes.
¹ https://africacenter.org/fr/spotlight/plus-de-40-millions-de-personnes-deplacees-par-les-conflits-en-afrique/
- These causes include natural disasters, climate change, conflict and political violence. This is compounded by the fact that the means and solutions adopted to meet the needs of internally displaced persons, including their return to their homes of origin, are often inadequate and dependent on changes in the very causes that led to the displacement. This is not always controllable by those responsible for providing solutions, in particular governments and humanitarian actors, but also displaced persons themselves when they are involved in the search for appropriate solutions to their situation.