Rights of displaced persons

Too often, people who are displaced by political unrest, conflict and environmental disasters find themselves unable to exercise their electoral and political rights or contribute to the development of sustainable solutions for the challenges they face. IFES partners with stakeholders worldwide to enfranchise and promote the interests of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and externally (across national boundaries) displaced people in electoral and political processes. IFES has a strong track record of supporting IDP and out-of-country voting programs.

IFES supports partners to advance the rights of displaced persons by:

• Providing technical assistance to election management bodies (EMBs), parliaments and civil society organizations (CSOs) in researching and considering options for electoral inclusion of displaced populations.
• Providing technical assistance to EMBs and CSOs in implementing measures to support electoral participation by displaced persons.
• Supporting displaced persons by providing training and opportunities to access decision makers.
• Contributing to awareness raising and development of tools for effective electoral participation and political inclusion of displaced populations.

IFES is exploring the emerging issue of climate-based displacement and addressing how it impacts access to rights and political participation with a particular focus on the added vulnerability faced by those with intersecting marginalized identities. This endeavor is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, which has provided direct support to IFES’ Strategic Outcome 3: All people safely participate in civic and political life on an equal basis.

 Explore our resources linked here to learn more and get involved.