Protection of Displaced Persons and the Rights-Based Approach

In this chapter, McDermott et al. provide both a descriptive and normative overview of the protection accorded to displaced persons and the associated rights-based approach to the protection of such persons. In line with the definition of protection as prescribed by the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee, displacement is addressed within each of three bodies of international law—human rights law, humanitarian law, and refugee law. McDermott et al. conclude that, despite scepticism as to how the lofty rhetoric of the rights-based approach is implemented in practice, in its ideal form, it is a critical factor in supporting the agency of displaced persons and draws attention to the obligations of duty bearers to promote their protection.