2026 Conference on Internally Displaced People
Refugees International, Georgetown University, ODI Global, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, the Ukrainian Congress of IDP Councils hosted their third annual virtual conference on internal displacement – at a moment when millions of internally displaced people (IDPs) are navigating global conflict, shrinking humanitarian support, and uncertain futures.
The event featured a keynote address by UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Paula Gaviria Betancur and two panel discussions with experts and internally displaced leaders.
Welcome
Dr. Sarah Miller, Senior Fellow, Refugees Interantional
Keynote
Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons
Panel I: Self-Protection in Times of Conflict
As humanitarian budgets are slashed and aid access contracts, how are IDPs and their communities protecting themselves? Hear directly from displaced leaders about the strategies they are using to survive – and experts’ takes on mechanisms for meaningful support.
Moderator:
- Tamar Joanian, Senior Community-based Protection Officer, UNHCR Geneva
Speakers:
- Ana María Diez, President, Coalition for Venezuela
- Lucky Karim, Rohingya human rights advocate, the founder of Refugee Women for Peace and Justice and a Refugees International alumni fellow
- Ahmed Mhanna, Executive Director of Programs and Operations, Palestinian Housing Council
Launch of The Oxford Handbook of Internal Displacement
- David Cantor, editor of the handbook and Founder and Director of the Refugee Law Initiative
- Elizabeth Ferris, Research Professor with the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University
- Yana Liubymova, Co-Founder, Congress of IDP Councils of Ukraine
- Dr. Utz Pape, Lead Economist, World Bank
Panel II: Displacement, Justice, and Accountability
IDPs are not just victims of conflict; they are central to rebuilding societies. What role can displaced communities play in transitional justice and accountability efforts? Hear from displaced leaders and experts on IDP participation in durable solutions and sustainable peace.
Moderator:
- Megan Bradley, Professor of Political Science and International Development Studies, McGill University
Speakers:
- Laura Marcela Borrero Fierro, Attorney, Specialist in Administrative Law
- Tetiana Shevchenko, First Deputy Head of the State Archival Service of Ukraine
- Hardin Lang, Vice President for Programs and Policy