The Brookings – SAIS Project on Internal Displacement National Human Rights Commissions and Internally Displaced Persons Illustrated by the Sri Lankan Experience by Mario Gomez An Occasional Paper July 2002 National Human Rights Commissions and Internally Displaced Persons Illustrated by the Sri Lankan Experience by Mario Gomez THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION – SAIS PROJECT ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036-2188 and 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 555, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 TELEPHONE: 202/797-6145 FAX: 202/797-6003 EMAIL:
[email protected] FOREWORD Over the past two decades, national human rights commissions have been created in countries throughout the world. Although many of these countries have serious problems of internal displacement, most commissions have yet to address the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs), even though the displaced are among the more vulnerable groups in the society and are in great need of having their rights promoted and protected. In Sri Lanka, a breakthrough occurred in 2001. The national human rights commission innovatively commissioned a study on internal displacement with a view to exploring what role it might play in addressing the situation of IDPs in the country. By taking this step, it demonstrated that a national human rights commission could constructively address the concerns of the internally displaced. Dr. Mario Gomez, the author of this paper, worked closely with the Sri Lankan Commission and describes this experience in the paper as well as discusses more generally how national human rights commissions might contribute to defending the rights of the internally displaced. It is our hope by publishing his cogent analysis to encourage human rights commissions in other countries not only to learn about the Sri Lankan experience, but also to develop a role of their own in addressing situations of internal displacement.