AS DELIVERED

The United States is a champion in supporting the rights and needs of internally displaced persons. We will continue to advocate for IDPs, and target our humanitarian and development assistance to improve the lives of those trapped by conflict or forced to move because of natural disasters, and particularly those who require protection.

We would like to express concern about IDPs in Burma and Syria. In Burma’s Kachin and Shan states, more than 100,000 IDPs will face another winter with limited access to humanitarian aid and continued targeting by the Tatmadaw.

In Syria’s Idlib province, millions of IDPs face a deeply uncertain future as regime forces continue to press the enclave.

The United States greatly appreciates and supports the continued efforts of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary to advance progress on protecting and assisting IDPs. In this regard, her direct and constructive outreach to Member States has generated productive collaboration between the governments of affected countries and the international community.

2018 is the twentieth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and the United States would like to thank Ms. Jimenez-Damary for her efforts to put action to those Guiding Principles with her work on the multi-stakeholder Plan of Action for Advancing the Prevention, Protection, and Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons, 2018-2020.

With the upcoming 2019 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund on the rights of child IDPs, we would be grateful if Ms. Jimenez-Damary could elaborate on what issues this document might highlight. What are the specific needs of internally displaced children, and what can the international community do to serve these vulnerable groups?

Finally, we are also concerned about the sexual exploitation and abuse of IDPs, and would like to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur to highlight this issue as part of her work. What more can be done to highlight this issue?