Adapting the guiding principles to new realities Format When the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were presented to the United Nations in 1998, they were ground-breaking. They helped to put the spotlight on millions of internally displaced people (IDPs) and inspired governments to pass national IDP legislation. Now, 23 years down the line, realities have changed and call for more attention on preventing displacement and finding durable solutions. Are the Guiding Principles still fit for purpose? The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement “identify the rights and guarantees relevant to the protection of the internally displaced in all phases of displacement”. They were introduced to the Commission on Human Rights – the predecessor of the Human Rights Council – by the Representative of the Secretary-General on internal displacement at the time, Francis M. Deng, in 1998. Although not legally binding, they remain the only international framework on internal displacement to this day.