Global Protection Cluster

Law and Policy
The Issue

It is essential for protection actors to invest in environment-building action, aimed at creating and/or consolidating an environment – political, social, cultural, institutional, economic and legal – conducive to full respect for the rights of women, men, boys and girls, without any kind of discrimination. Promoting the implementation at the national level of relevant international law, including by supporting the ratification of relevant treaties and the establishment of adequate legal, policy and institutional frameworks, is therefore paramount.

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The Approach

While law- and policy-making is an essential exercise of state sovereignty, Protection Clusters and their members have an important role to play in advocating for and supporting States in the development and implementation of their laws and policies for protection outcomes; particularly relevant in many contexts are laws and policies relating to the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), often necessary for the incorporation of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (or the domestication of the African Union Kampala Convention as relevant) into national legislation. For an overview of existing legal and policy frameworks in this area, check our Global Database on Law and Policy on Internal Displacement. 

The engagement of field Protection Clusters in the law-and-policy area should be based on a solid analysis of the legal and policy context, which should be an integral part of the protection context-based analysis informing the overall strategic planning. 

 

The Task Team on Law and Policy

The GPC Task Team on Law & Policy (TTLP), led by UNHCR, was established in 2015 to coordinate multi-stakeholder efforts to advocate for, promote and support states’ efforts in developing domestic and regional normative frameworks on the protection and assistance of IDPs in line with the Guiding Principles and other relevant regional and international frameworks. 

UNHCR has been co-leading the Task Team since 2015. Globally, the membership of the Task Team includes UN agencies, NGOs, research and academic institutions, donors, human rights and development agencies, and representatives of other AoRs/Task Teams and field Protection Cluster. 

In line with the Principles of Partnership, the TTLP operates as an open and inclusive forum bringing together traditional and new GPC partners with specific expertise on the subject.

Download the Terms of Reference

Download the Task Team 2021-2024 Strategy

Featured Videos

Cross-Regional Forum on
Implementing Laws and Policies
on Internal Displacement 6 - 9 June 2023

IDP Forum Video on law and policy CBCS IDP Law Campaign for the Philippines

Law and Policy Task Team

Martina Caterina

GPC Task Team on Law & Policy Co-Chair
UNHCR
Mail: caterina@unhcr.org

Katrien Ringele

GPC Task Team on Law and Policy Co-Chair
NRC
Mail: katrien.ringele@nrc.no