UNHCR Commends Ethiopia’s Ratification of Kampala Convention

ENA, February 16/2020 The UN Refugee Agency hailed Ethiopia’s ratification of the African Union (AU) Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa, known as the Kampala Convention.

The Convention, a key regional legal instrument aimed at protecting, assisting and resolving the plight of IDPs.

The ratification represents a significant achievement for a country that has had to recently manage massive internal displacement within its borders.

“The ratification of this Convention underscores the Government’s concern and attention to the large number of people who are displaced, whether as a result of conflict or changing climatic conditions,” said UNHCR’s Representative in Ethiopia, Ann Encontre.

“UNHCR welcomes the opportunity to support the Government of Ethiopia in implementing the tenets of the Convention and honoring its commitments, including through the development of a national action plan for IDPs,” she noted

Ethiopia is the 31^st African Union member state to ratify the convention since its adoption in 2009.

It will now take effect domestically after Ethiopian president signs it into law within a few weeks.

The Kampala Convention is the world’s first and only regional legally binding instrument for the protection and assistance of IDPs, who often face heightened risks of sexual and other violence during their displacement, while they struggle to access their basic rights.