The first-ever continental binding treaty on internal displacement the African Union Convention on the Protection of and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (the Kampala Convention) entered into force on 6 December 2012. This book examines the development and implementation of this treaty on internal displacement. The book explores the responsibility of the State for the protection of IDPs in light of the Kampala Convention and how this relates to the notion of sovereignty. The status of ratification of the Convention is reviewed as well as the steps currently being undertaken by governments and other bodies to implement the Convention.

1. Introduction 2. The protection of and assistance to IDPs under international law 3. The evolution and scope of regional norms and institutions on internal displacement in Africa 4. The Kampala Convention: Rationale, Preparatory Work and Legal Resource 5. Substantive Provisions of the Kampala Convention 6. Implementation and its challenges 7. Conclusion

Allehone M. Abebe is a Senior Protection Officer (UNHCR). He served as a senior diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia in Geneva (2007-2011). He has written widely on human rights, migration and forced displacement.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.