PREFACE
Every day, thousands of Filipinos grapple with the devastating consequences of natural
disasters, conflict, and development aggression. Among these unfortunate legacies is
displacement or the forced movement of people from their places of origin due to crisis
and conflict situations. In Mindanao, for instance, decades of conflict, as well as various
other crisis situations over the years, have forced entire communities to flee for their
lives. Protracted displacement is an issue that various areas in the Philippines face, and
the complexities surrounding the problem of displacement makes it particularly
difficult to address. Displaced communities are in need not only of life-saving
interventions, but also of durable solutions to their displacement.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) places the wellbeing of vulnerable sectors,
including internally displaced persons (IDPs), high on its list of priorities. It has a long
history of working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
in seeking better protection for IDPs. This long-standing partnership led to the CHRUNHCR IDP Project and the development of the CHR IDP Displacement Monitoring Tool,
a tool which can be used by CHR staff and partners in monitoring missions to ascertain
conditions of IDPs on the ground. The tool is designed to help the user more fully
describe the situation of IDPs and better document the human rights and humanitarian
issues they face.
Using the data collected through the CHR IDP Monitoring Tool, the Commission seeks
to:
Produce credible human rights analysis of IDP situations;
Provide advice to the State and its instrumentalities on its obligation to respect,
protect, and fulfill the human rights of IDPs, including advice regarding policy
reform and program development and implementation;
Refer IDP concerns to relevant CHR offices, appropriate agencies, and/or partner
organizations;
Investigate allegations of violations of IDPs’ rights and refer such cases to the
proper authorities for further action, if warranted;
Promote IDP rights through advocacy and capacity building.
Ultimately, the CHR hopes to compile accurate and reliable data that will inform its
policy decisions in the protection and promotion of the human rights of IDPs – with the
end in view of helping IDPs obtain durable solutions to displacement.
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