Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Name	Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Type	Non-governmental organization
Founded	1998
Founder	Norwegian Refugee Council
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Region served	Global
Focus	Internally displaced persons

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre is an international monitoring organization focused on internal displacement caused by conflict, violence, disasters, and development projects. It conducts research, collects data, and advocates for policy responses involving protection, assistance, and durable solutions for internally displaced persons. The organisation works with humanitarian, development, and human rights actors to inform international frameworks and national policies.

History and Establishment

The Centre was established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council amid rising attention to displacement following the Rwandan genocide, the Yugoslav Wars, and conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Its formation paralleled initiatives by the United Nations such as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and institutions like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Early engagements included monitoring crises in Chechnya, Afghanistan, and the Great Lakes region, while coordinating with actors such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Crisis Group. The Centre’s establishment coincided with policy processes at the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and donor agencies including the European Commission and United States Agency for International Development.

Mandate and Objectives

Its stated mandate includes documenting internal displacement trends, promoting implementation of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and supporting national authorities, humanitarian agencies, and regional bodies like the African Union and the Organisation of American States. Objectives align with international instruments and actors such as the Geneva Conventions, the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Centre advocates integration of displacement considerations into frameworks like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Global Compact on Refugees while engaging with multilateral forums including the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Methodology and Data Collection

The Centre employs quantitative and qualitative methods, triangulating field assessments, satellite imagery analyses, and secondary sources from sources such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization. It uses case studies from contexts like Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Myanmar, Colombia, and Venezuela and integrates datasets comparable to those produced by ACLED, Uppsala Conflict Data Program, and the International Displacement Laboratory models. Methodological collaborations have involved research institutions such as Oxford University, Harvard University, London School of Economics, and think tanks including the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and the Royal United Services Institute. The Centre also draws on national statistical offices, humanitarian country teams, NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières and Save the Children, and intergovernmental agencies like UNICEF and UNHCR to validate figures and produce estimates used in humanitarian appeals.

Key Publications and Reports

Signature outputs include global analytical products and country reports used by actors such as the United Nations Secretary-General, the European Parliament, and donor governments like Norway and Germany. Prominent reports analyze displacement in settings including Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Somalia, Philippines, and Bangladesh. The Centre contributes to composite indices alongside entities such as the World Bank's Atlas of Global Development projects and collaborates with media partners like the BBC, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera for dissemination. It produces methodological notes, annual global overviews, and thematic briefs on issues ranging from urban displacement in Cairo and Jakarta to disaster-induced displacement after events like Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance structures have linked the Centre with funders and partners such as the European Union, United Kingdom Department for International Development, philanthropic entities like the Open Society Foundations and the Gates Foundation, and multilateral partners including the International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank. Strategic partnerships include collaborations with regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Council of Europe, as well as academic networks at institutions like Columbia University, National University of Singapore, and Australian National University. The Centre engages with professional bodies including the International Association of Refugee Law Judges and participates in donor coordination with Sida and DFID-era mechanisms.

Impact and Criticism

The Centre’s data and advocacy have contributed to policy shifts in national responses, influenced humanitarian coordination led by OCHA, and informed normative debates at the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. It has been credited with elevating internal displacement on the agendas of bodies such as the European Commission and the African Union Commission. Criticisms have emerged from academic and policy commentators at institutions like King’s College London, Johns Hopkins University, and Princeton University over issues including data uncertainty, methodological transparency, and perceived donor influence, and have been voiced in outlets such as Foreign Policy and The New York Times. Debates continue regarding the Centre’s role relative to agencies like UNHCR and IOM and in contexts involving state sovereignty, humanitarian access, and the interplay with security actors including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Category:Humanitarian aid organizations