Rapporteur holds activities on security of tenure and humanitarian aid

On June 27th, in Geneva, the Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik took part in an informal consultation on Security of Tenure in Humanitarian Shelter, organized by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with the support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). This event provided an opportunity for humanitarian organizations active in the delivery of shelter assistance to engage in a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing on her on-going work on security of tenure. Participants were encouraged to share their operational experience, practical challenges and successes in addressing security of tenure in humanitarian settings.

On June 28th, the Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik delivered the keynote address in the roundtable entitled ‘Security of Tenure in Humanitarian Shelter, Programming for the Most Vulnerable’, organized by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with the support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department (CHASE) and the UK Mission to the UN in Geneva. The event was held at the Permanent Mission of the European Union to the WTO, in Geneva.

The aim of the roundtable was to seek a common understanding of security of tenure amongst humanitarian organizations and donors, with the intention of progressing towards an operational definition applicable for humanitarian settings. It is hoped that this event will facilitate progress towards a more equitable provision of humanitarian shelter assistance to disaster and conflict-affected populations – reaching beyond those with documented title. Participants included operational humanitarian organizations and several of the most active donors involved in shelter response.

These activities undoubtely served as valuable contribution to the Security of Tenure project, which the Rapporteur has been developing since 2012. Regarding this project, the Rapporteur has hosted between May and June regional consultations in Quito, Ecuador; in Johannesburg, South Africa; in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and in Geneva, Switzerland. Results of all these events will help the formulation of guidelines on the theme, which are to be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2013.

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