IDP Convention-Let the Hard Work Begin SOURCE: IRIN Kampala — Seventeen countries signed the African Union convention on internally displaced persons (IDPs) after years of preparation culminated in a week of meetings in the Ugandan capital but a lot more hard work remains before it becomes effective, according to observers. "The most important step now is implementation," Julia Dolly Joiner, AU commissioner for political affairs, said. "We need to move from intentions to actions." For the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, it is crucial that
implementation is carried out "in a timely fashion and in a manner that makes a
real difference to the lives of persons affected by internal displacement in the
region, including host communities. "The first step forward should involve a process of national dialogue and civic education aimed at securing the Convention's ratification and implementation by the State parties," according to a statement by the project, which monitors displacement issues worldwide to promote best practice among governments and other actors. Fifteen countries must ratify the convention before it enters into effect. Organizers of the 19-23 October meetings insisted that the fact that only 17 signed did not represent a lack of political will and commitment on the part of the African states. "We debated together and we agreed but when it comes to signing, the person has to have been given the authority by his government to sign," one AU official told IRIN. "Only 17 had such authorization." Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who chaired the summit, praised it as "a
very important milestone [that] has gone beyond conflicts to address issues of
development. "We have at least agreed in words, we now have to put our words [into] action," he told a news conference. "The solace for the women in Darfur may not be very immediate, but the fact is that people have come together to discuss the matter." The IDP convention obliges states to:
It prohibits armed groups from:
It obliges the AU:
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