How Internally Displaced People Can Return Home

In the last 10 years, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has doubled to more than 83 million — 60% of which live in towns and cities. Achieving durable solutions for IDPs in urban settings, specifically their (re)integration, must be a human rights-driven process that requires political leadership and a whole-of-government approach, addresses IDPs’ psychosocial needs and includes displaced persons as active agents of change. These were some of the major points discussed at the high-level panel discussion (Re)integration of Internally Displaced Persons in Urban Settings: Rights, Realities and Pathways Forward on October 22, 2025, at Columbia University. The event centered on the new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, Paula Gaviria Betancur. With regard to the integration of IDPs, the Special Rapporteur highlighted the need to include IDPs into existing structures, instead of creating parallel systems, invest in data and evidence, and transition to long-term funding that goes beyond addressing humanitarian needs.

In her video message, Tetiana Durnyeva, an IDP from Ukraine, stressed the importance of IDPs’ voice in the policy discussions and the relevance of upholding IDPs’ voting rights. Professor Wafaa El-Sadr, Executive Vice President at Columbia Global, welcomed a high-level panel of experts to discuss the report and its implications for municipal, national, and international policies and programs. During the discussion, Sivanka Dhanapala, Director of UNHCR’s New York Office, Fernando Travesi, Executive Director of the International Center for Transitional Justice, Laurel Patterson, Team Leader for Strategic Partnerships and Communications at UNDP’s Crisis Bureau, Caitlin Sturridge, Senior Research Fellow Displacement at ODI Global, as well as Filiep Decorte, Chief of UN-Habitat’s Programme Development Branch and acting Emergency Director, and Andrew Rudd, Urban Environment Officer at UN-Habitat’s New York Office, underscored the need for sustainable, inclusive urban development and the importance of addressing the intangible aspects of displacement. The experts focused on property restitution and social trust in conflict contexts, and emphasized the need for meaningful participation, consultation, and immediate delivery of basic needs. They also highlighted the need to better integrate IDP populations into national and local urban development strategies and explore partnerships with the private sector to support durable solutions for urban IDPs.

The panel’s moderator, SIPA Professor Daniel Naujoks, Coordinator of Committee on Forced Migration at Columbia Global, concluded that the discussion demonstrated the clear need for better-planned approaches that are based on sustainable development and human rights-based approaches to address the needs of both host communities and IDPs. This includes building social cohesion and integration in housing, livelihoods, education, and legal aspects.

• Watch the full discussion.
• Read the UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on (re)integration of IDPs in urban settings.