What are the objectives of activities?
The goal of our training activities is to strengthen the capacity of national and local authorities, civil society organisations and national human rights institutions to protect the human rights of IDPs.
IDMC training aims to enable participants:
- To assess the protection risks and needs of IDPs using a common framework based on the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, a human rights-based approach and considerations of age, gender and diversity
- To develop an appropriate response, in accordance with their responsibility, mandate, and capacity, to protect IDPs’ rights and to promote durable solutions
- To further promote among other national or local actors the international and regional protection norms and approaches to internal displacement
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Who are the targets of IDMC training?
IDMC training primarily targets national and local stakeholders in countries of internal displacement, in particular authorities and civil society organisations. IDMC also implements training projects specifically for national human rights institutions, to strengthen their monitoring and advocacy for the protection of IDPs within the framework of their mandate.
Where relevant, members of UN country teams and international organisations are also included. IDMC training workshops are also open to representatives from displaced communities.
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What are our training activities?
IDMC trainers plan and conduct training projects on the protection of IDPs for and with stakeholders in countries of internal displacement. Each training project comprises the following components:
- Training workshops on the protection of IDPs: During these two-day or three-day workshops, participants are trained to assess the protection risks and needs of IDPs, using the Guiding Principles and the international and regional legal frameworks, and applying a human rights-based approach and age, gender and diversity considerations. IDMC training modules focus on essential knowledge and skills relating to the protection of IDPs’ rights in all phases of displacement, including standards on the prohibition of arbitrary displacement, protection during displacement and the search for durable solutions. Participants review the responsibilities and obligations of national and international stakeholders, identify gaps and what can be done to address them.
- Training-of-trainers workshops: These five-day workshops are designed to train national and local trainers to conduct training workshops in their country based on IDMC training modules on the protection of IDPs. Through a series of activities and practical sessions on adult learning methodology, participants improve their skills to assess learning needs, and design and conduct training workshops according to their own priorities and target groups, and evaluate their trainingactivities. Participants are primarily selected from among those who have participated in an IDP training workshop or who have substantial experience in IDP protection and in training.
- Advanced training support: IDMC provides further training support as needed by workshop participants. For instance, follow-up workshops can be organised to provide trainers with advice, coaching and additional training resources. Advanced or thematic training on international human rights law or the development of national laws and policies for the protection of IDPs can also be provided.
Training events on the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (the Kampala Convention): IDMC has developed a special initiative to promote the ratification of the Kampala Convention by member states of the African Union, through training events which are usually delivered in collaboration with national stakeholders. These training events are organised to raise awareness of the Convention among civil society organisations and parliamentarians, and to promote its ratification. The initiative involves two-day workshops for civil society organisations and half-day workshops for parliamentarians.
Support to inter-agency initiatives to strengthen the coordination of protection in situations of internal displacement: IDMC is actively engaged in the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) to ensure that the necessary steps are made to strengthen the capacity of international agencies mandated with or contributing to the protection of IDPs. Jointly with UNHCR, IDMC co-chairs the GPC Learning Task Force, where we have led the development and rolling-out of a training curriculum on protection coordination, targeting international protection workers, NGOs and national/local authorities in charge of the coordination of protection clusters at the country level.
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Who are our partners for training projects and what is their role?
IDMC plans and implements its training activities in cooperation with organisations and institutions based in countries of internal displacement, such as UNHCR, OHCHR, OCHA, and the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country offices where relevant. The role of partners is to advise on training needs and follow-up, identify and invite participants and provide logistical support. IDMC coordinates with international organisations within the framework of protection clusters or other coordination mechanisms, to ensure that our training projects complement existing capacity-strengthening activities and to promote a stronger international engagement with national and local partners.
IDMC training projects for national human rights institutions are developed jointly with these institutions and may be implemented in collaboration with relevant international organisations as well as with the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement.
Funding for the training programme is generally the joint responsibility of IDMC and the partners in the countries targeted, unless IDMC already has earmarked funds for a particular country or training project.
For more information on IDMC training activities, please send an email to
christophe.beau@nrc.ch