Protecting the Dispossessed

Francis M. Deng

doi:10.5771/9780815717300

Summary

An estimated 25 million people worldwide are internally displaceda significantly larger population than the 18 million refugees. Victims of civil wars, forced relocation, communal violence, natural and ecological disasters, and gross violations of human rights, they lack such human necessities as food, shelter, clothing, safety, basic health, and education. But because they remain inside their countries, they don't receive the same protection and assistance from the international community as those who cross borders and become refugees. Their plight, however, is drawing increasing international attention.

In March 1992, Francis Deng was appointed Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to study this harrowing situation. In this book, a substantially revised version of his report to the UN, Deng examines the causes and consequences of internal displacement, the legal standards for protection and assistance, enforcement mechanisms, the prevailing conditions in the affected countries, and the urgent need for an international response.

In a compelling first-person narrative, Protecting the Dispossessed follows Deng's investigation and is based on interviews and information from governments, international organizations, individuals, and visits to several countries in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

Deng argues that sovereignty entails a responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of the citizens and to protect fundamental human rights; the international community must uphold this standard and make violators accountable. While he acknowledges that steps are being taken in the right direction, he maintains that there is still much to be done. He presents a bold proposal, one that requires substantial changes in the international system, in the politics of major governments, and in the relations between states. He proposes a three-phase strategy aimed at monitoring conditions worldwide: to detect impending crises, ale

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2010
ISBN-Print: 978-0-8157-1825-3
ISBN-Online: 978-0-8157-1730-0
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 175
Product type: Book Titles

1. Contents No access
Introduction: Principles of Protection No access Pages 1 - 20
1. 1. Yugoslavia: A Nation Dismantled No access
2. 2. Russia: A Crisis in the Making No access
3. 3. Somalia: From Disintegration to Reconstruction No access
4. 4. The Sudan: A Nation Divided No access
5. 5. El Salvador: Peace in the Balance No access
6. 6. Cambodia: Rebuilding a Nation No access
1. 7. The Challenge in the African Experience No access
2. 8. The International Response to Civil Violence No access
3. 9. A Strategy for Protection No access
Postscript: Response of the Commission on Human Rights No access Pages 141 - 148
Appendix A: UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1992/73 No access Pages 149 - 150
Appendix B: UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1993/105 No access Pages 151 - 153
Appendix C: Memorandum: Civil Violence as an International Security Problem No access Pages 154 - 159
Appendix D: Humanitarian Emergencies and Assistance No access Pages 160 - 162
Appendix E: Statement by the Representative of the Secretary-General No access Pages 163 - 168
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