Maryna Toporkova
PhD in law, Senior Researcher, Utena University of Applied Sciences, Lithuania
Abstract
This article examines the international legal framework and mechanisms for protecting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). The study conceptualizes the implementation of international legal standards as a multifaceted system comprising three main components: the norms of international law regulating relations involving IDPs, the activities of international bodies responsible for enforcing these norms, and specialized instruments and methodologies designed to ensure effective protection across temporal and spatial dimensions. Key international legal instruments, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol, and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, provide the foundation for defining, safeguarding, and assisting displaced populations. The article highlights the distinction between refugees and IDPs, emphasizing the principle of non-refoulement as a cornerstone of international protection. It also analyzes the role of international organizations, particularly the UNHCR, in coordinating protection measures, supporting reintegration, and promoting accountability for violations of displaced persons’ rights. Special attention is given to recent crises, including large-scale displacement from the Middle East to Europe in 2015 and the forced migration of Ukrainians following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, demonstrating the urgent need to strengthen, reform, and adapt international protection mechanisms. The study concludes that effective protection requires coordinated international cooperation, respect for human rights, humanitarian values, and the development of resilient systems to address both current and future displacement crises.
Keywords: international protection, refugees, internally displaced persons, international law.
JEL: K37; K38; F22
DOI: 10.52244/c2025.13
References
Doctors Without Borders. The practical guide to humanitarian law: Refugees. Retrieved from https://guide-humanitarian-law.org/content/article/3/refugees
International Organization for Migration. (2019). World Migration Report 2020. International Organization for Migration. Retrieved from https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/news/world-migration-report-2024-reveals-latest-global-trends-and-challenges-human-mobility
Kälin, W. (2014). Internal displacement and the law. Forced Migration Review, 46, 42–44. Retrieved from https://www.fmreview.org/crisis/kaelin
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (n.d.). About internally displaced persons. United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-internally-displaced-persons/about-internally-displaced-persons
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (1951). Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/media/1951-refugee-convention-and-1967-protocol-relating-status-refugees
United Nations. (1967). Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/protection/basic/3b66c2aa10/protocol-relating-status-refugees.html
United Nations. (1998). Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/protection/idps/43ce1cff2/guiding-principles-internal-displacement.html
UNHCR. (2022). Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2022. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/global-trends-report-2022.pdf
United Nations General Assembly. (2018). Global Compact on Refugees. United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/media/global-compact-refugees-booklet