This Handbook is the result of joint efforts by the staff of over 30 international organizations, most of which are members of the Global Protection Cluster who contributed to the provisional version in 2007. This includes United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations. The Handbook was then field-tested in the course of 2008 in over fifteen countries, involving the staff of a wide variety of inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental agencies or bodies.
The handbook provides operational guidance and tools to support effective protection responses in situations of internal displacement. Specifically, the Handbook seeks to:
- ensure staff members are familiar with the core concepts, principles and international legal standards that form the framework for protection work;
- assist staff in operationalizing these concepts, principles and legal standards and in carrying out their protection responsibilities;
- improve understanding of the particular protection risks faced by internally displaced women, men, boys and girls of various backgrounds;
- provide guidance on how to prevent and respond to the protection risks faced by IDPs through a range of different activities;
- enhance staff skills for carrying out protection work; and promote a consistent and well-coordinated protection response in different operations.
Whereas the focus of the Handbook is mainly on the protection of IDPs and other affected populations in situations of internal displacement in complex emergencies, much of the guidance provided is relevant as well during natural disasters when internal displacement and protection risks also often arise.
