Returns and Reintegration Following Internal Displacement

• Jean-Christophe Dumont, OECD

This session will discuss the difficult choice between prioritizing the rebuilding of infrastructure and services in places of origin versus developing new host communities and providing robust social support in areas where IDPs are currently located. It will consider how to balance these priorities and the potential consequences of focusing too heavily on one approach over the other.

• What criteria or indicators can authorities use in order to determine whether resources should be allocated to rebuilding places of origin versus developing host communities? What measures are in place to ensure that these decisions are evidence-based? Are there examples of hybrid approaches that have been successful in striking a balance between the two?
• What is the most common preference among IDPs (return to their home region or settling elsewhere in the country) and what factors influence their decision the most? How can authorities ensure that IDPs’ agency and preferences are respected while addressing broader societal needs or reconciling their own safety assessments, which may not be favourable to the IDPs’ wishes?
• How can authorities maintain a balance between addressing the immediate needs of IDPs in host communities and investing in the long-term recovery of places of origin? What strategies can foster social cohesion between IDPs and host communities, especially in cases where returns are delayed or not feasible?

Speakers:

• Christelle Cazabat, Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC). Insight from IDMC’s Global Reports on Internal Displacement.
• Mona Folkesson, Hub for Solutions to Internal Displacement, United Nations. Lessons on supporting governments to develop solutions for short and medium-term needs of IDPs.
• Anne Koch, SWP (German Institute for International and Security Affairs). Approaches to internal displacement – reconstruction of home communities or investment in host communities?

This session will explore how to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) as they navigate the uncertainty of whether to return to their places of origin or integrate into new communities. It will address the emotional, social, and economic challenges that IDPs encounter during this period of waiting, and how governments, NGOs, and international organizations can assist in enabling them to make informed decisions. The session will also examine measures that can empower IDPs to move forward with their lives, even when their future remains uncertain.

• What are the most significant emotional, social, and economic challenges that IDPs face during prolonged periods of uncertainty and how can governments, NGOs, and international organizations address these challenges effectively?
• What strategies can empower IDPs to make informed decisions about whether to return to their places of origin or integrate into new communities, and which are the actors and factors that matter the most in this decision?
• How can authorities and organizations provide meaningful support to IDPs who are unable to make immediate decisions about their future? What can be the role of host communities in reducing the emotional and social stress of the ‘waiting dilemma’ for IDPs, and which authority or actor tends to have the most significant influence in supporting social cohesion?

Speakers:

• Stephan Visser, OECD. Lessons from Türkiye.
• Jane Henrici, George Washington University. Lessons from Hurricane Katrina.
• Yuliia Matviichuk, EastSOS. Approaches in the evacuation and return of Ukrainian IDPs

This session will focus on strategies to foster social cohesion between IDPs and the host communities where they have settled. It will explore ways to alleviate tensions, rebuild trust, and promote inclusive recovery efforts that benefit both displaced and host populations.

• What specific measures can be implemented to alleviate tensions between IDPs and host communities, in a context of resource scarcity for both groups and additional stress of resettlement for the IDPs?
• How can measures improving access to housing, employment, and public services targeting IDPs remain equitable and contribute to reducing competition and fostering trust between IDPs and host communities, enabling both displaced and host populations to see tangible benefits?
• What role can international organisations, civil society, and local governments play in addressing systemic barriers related to legal and economic considerations or social discrimination that hinder integration and social cohesion?
• What role can participatory approaches, where both groups contribute to recovery planning, play in strengthening social cohesion?
• What strategies have proven effective in rebuilding trust in regions where displacement has exacerbated pre-existing ethnic, religious, or social divides? What can be the role of governments and local leaders in addressing such grievances and what is the main challenge, as an international actor, to intervene in such situations?
• How can community-based programmes, such as shared cultural or educational activities, be leveraged to foster mutual understanding and cooperation between IDPs and host populations?

Speakers:

• Catherine Osborn, UNDP. Lessons from Ethiopia, Iraq and Libya.
• Xavier Devictor, World Bank. Approaching tensions and discriminatory attitudes from host communities towards IDPs.
• Lidiia Kuzmenko, UNHCR Ukraine. Lessons on fostering social cohesion in displacement-affected communities.

A response from a representative of Ukraine to connect the day's discussions to recovery and reconstruction efforts and ongoing activities.

• Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine