Reparations for Internally Displaced Persons in the Context of Climate Change and Disasters

With the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons undertakes country visits, acts on individual cases of reported violations and concerns of a broader nature by sending communications to States and others, contributes to the development of international human rights standards, engages in advocacy, raises public awareness, and provides advice for technical cooperation.

While many States have provided reparations for victims of armed conflicts and situations of generalized violence for decades, reparations for disaster and climate-induced internal displacement are still an emerging concept and not often seen in practice. In international human rights and humanitarian law, reparations for victims of internal displacement usually include measures of compensation, restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and non-recurrence. The Capstone project will help to answer three key questions: 1) What are the current legal and policy frameworks on reparations for internal displacement in the context of climate change and disasters? 2) What are the lessons learned from the experiences of internally displaced persons who received compensation for climate-related loss and damages? 3) How could States best address reparations in the context of climate-driven internal displacement?