This paper contains a submission from the Expert Group on Refugee and IDP Statistics (EGRIS) for the consideration of the High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement. JIPS provided input and expertise, alongside other members of the EGRIS.
The submission focuses on the topic of official statistics on internally displaced persons (IDPs) for improving national policy and response to internal displacement. It highlights the importance of producing good quality official statistics on IDPs through national statistical systems, which requires effective coordination and capacity development. It further highlights the crucial benefits this entails for improving national ownership and government responses to displacement in line with the scope and areas of interest of the High-Level Panel. Finally, the paper brings the recently endorsed International Recommendations on IDP Statistics (IRIS) to the attention of the High-Level Panel as the first statistical recommendations on covering internal displacement in official statistics to promote inclusive national policies.
Structured in four sections, the submission provides background on the EGRIS, outlines key elements of the IRIS, discusses recent efforts by the group to improve official statistics under their phase III, and sums up key recommendations for the Panel.