Coming Home: The Challenge of Return for Iraq’s Displaced
A public event co-sponsored with the International Organization for Migration
Date and Time
Friday, December 19, 2008
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Directions
It is estimated that one in five Iraqis — nearly five million people — has been displaced from their home. Due to the improved security situation and the increased difficulty of displacement, Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people are beginning to return, only to find their homes destroyed or occupied by others. In the past four months, the Iraqi Government has shifted from a policy of criminal sanction of the secondary occupants to a system of incentives; from a court-centered process to an administrative approach to property return. The USIP Rule of Law Program and the International Organization for Migration have been working with Iraqi Government actors to facilitate the development of policies and mechanisms to resolve property claims and find durable solutions for the displaced. This event will assess the policies in place and identify remaining challenges to ending the displacement crisis.
Speakers
- Elizabeth Ferris
Co-Director, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
- Peter Van der Auweraert
Senior Legal Advisor, International Organization for Migration
- Deborah Isser
Senior Rule of Law Advisor, Rule of Law Program, U.S. Institute of Peace
- Neil Kritz, Moderator
Associate Vice President, Rule of Law Program, U.S. Institute of Peace
Media Inquiries
Please contact Ian Larsen (+1.202.429.3870) or Lauren Sucher (+1.202.429.3822) in USIP’s Office of Public Affairs and Communications. For inquiries regarding IOM’s work, please contact Niurka Piñeiro (+1.202.862.1826 ext. 225).
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