AU Summit on Refugee

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By Shamsydeen Badmus

Published: October 22, 2009

AU Summit on Refugee

Shamsydeen Badmus/Lagos

African Union heads of state and government are meeting today to decide whether to ratify the continent’s first convention to protect and support refugees and displaced people. Known as the Kampala Declaration, the draft convention was yesterday adopted by the AU’s executive council but must be ratified by at least 15 of the 53 AU members to take effect. The convention covers refugees who have fled across a border as well as internally displaced people, who currently benefit from little or no protection. Almost half of the world’s 26 million estimated IDPs are in Africa as a result of conflict and natural disasters on the continent. The convention is expected to oblige AU states to prevent displacement, produce long-lasting solutions to the causes of displacement and provide IDPs with basic human rights.

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