The purpose of this document is to explain the ICRC's position on the issue of IDPs. It discusses the operational challenges of responding to the plight of IDPs, the best ways of protecting and assisting IDPs, and the ICRC's contribution to the policy debate on this issue.

Extract from ICRC publication "International humanitarian law: answers to your questions"

Special issue: 50th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Protection of Refugees in Armed Conflict.

These Guiding Principles address the specific needs of internally displaced persons worldwide. They identify rights and guarantees relevant to the protection of persons from forced displacement and to their protection and assistance during displacement as well as during return or resettlement and reintegration.

A few comments on the contribution of international humanitarian law, by Jean-Philippe Lavoyer, Deputy Head of the ICRC Legal Division.

An area where both human rights and humanitarian law considerations are being taken into account

United Nations, General Assembly, 62nd session, Third Committee, Item 42 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 8-9 Novembre 2007

Address by Angelo Gnaedinger, ICRC Director-General at the International Conference on Addressing the Humanitarian Needs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Iraq and in Neighbouring Countries, Geneva, 17-18 April, 2007

United Nations, General Assembly, 60th session, Plenary, item 73 of the agenda. Address of Ms. Anne Petitpierre, Vice-President International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 14 November 2005.

56th session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, address by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 3-7 October 2005

International humanitarian law, refugee law and human rights law are complementary bodies of law that share a common goal, the protection of the lives, health and dignity of persons. They form a complex network of complementary protections and it is essential that we understand how they interact. Statement at the International Association of Refugee Law Judges world conference, Stockholm, 21-23 April 2005, by Emanuela-Chiara Gillard, ICRC Legal Adviser.

ICRC statement to the UNHCR Global Consultations on International Protection, first meeting, 8-9 March 2001

Report on the implementation of resolution 4 of the 2001 Council of Delegates - Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2003

The United Nations' Inter-Agency Standing Committee, a coordination group for humanitarian agencies, has produced a basic fact-file on legal aspects of aid work during conflicts. Two dozen concise questions and answers explain essentials such as who is protected, under which branch of law, what type of acts are forbidden, and what constitutes a war crime.

The Global Database on the Guiding Principles provides instant access to official documents about the rights of the internally displaced and the application of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks.