The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, the Universidad de los Andes, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Acción Social jointly convened a seminar on the role of municipal authorities in addressing the needs of the internally displaced, held in Bogota, Colombia, on 14 November 2008. The seminar brought together mayors, representatives of municipal governments, experts on internal displacement, and academic researchers to discuss the challenges of responding to the needs of internally displaced persons. This report was put together by Elizabeth Ferris, Co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement.
The study examines four cases ” Bogotá, Medellín, the department of Antioquia, and Santa Marta ” comparing the efforts made by these local governments to address the needs and promote the rights of IDPs. The authors conclude their study with a number of recommendations to improve the ability of local authorities to respond to IDPs in their communities.