Call for Papers
Maynooth University Workshop on Internal Displacement Law and Policy
28 October 2025
At least 83.4 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of 2024 for reasons such as conflict, violence, and disaster. In Palestine, for example, nearly all the Gaza strip’s population has been displaced, often on multiple occasions. In Haiti, an increase in criminal violence-induced displacement led to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing Port au Prince in search of security and safety in other areas. In Chad, floods led to more displacements in 2024 than in the previous 15 years combined. Behind each of these IDPs is a life uprooted and a future jeopardized (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre 2025).
In June 2022, the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement called for states to develop and implement ‘relevant laws and policy frameworks’ to address the plight of IDPs. Maynooth University responds to this call by hosting its third workshop on IDP law and policy on 28 October 2025. We welcome submissions of works in progress on all areas of IDP law and policy from researchers at all career stages, ranging from students to established professors. We are particularly interested in papers that push the boundaries of existing thinking. Such topics might include:
- Whether there should be a global treaty on IDPs and what obligations such treaty would contain
- Whether other fields of law and policy, such as disaster and refugee law and policy, can and should inform the development of IDP law and policy
- The roles and obligations of both states and non-state actors concerning IDP protection
- Measuring the impact of and/or compliance with IDP laws and policies
- Participation of IDPs in the development of laws and policies, and in challenging their displacement
- Preventing and resolving situations of internal displacement
In the spirit of creating a friendly, informal atmosphere, the workshop will be limited to ten attendees. To ensure participants receive detailed feedback, papers will be circulated in advance, each participant will be appointed as a commentator on another paper, and presentations will be limited to ten minutes. In addition, participants are requested to provide feedback on all papers and to participate for the duration of the workshop (09:00-17:30 on 28 October, with a dinner to follow). The workshop will allow researchers working on this niche area to connect, showcase their research, gain detailed feedback from their peers, and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Abstracts of works in progress (300 words) and a brief biography (300 words) should be sent to [email protected] by Friday 4 July 2025. Participants will be notified of the outcome of their application by Friday 11 July 2025. Final papers, of no more than 10,000 words including footnotes, should be sent by Friday 3 October 2025.
Lunch and dinner on 28 October will be provided to participants. Participants are responsible for covering the cost of travel and accommodation. However, accommodation will be available at a discounted rate for all participants. In addition, funds have been set aside to cover the full accommodation and visa costs for some participants. If you wish to apply for these funds, please include a brief statement of need (up to 300 words) with your application. Individuals from and/or working in the Global South, PhD students, Early-Career Researchers, and those who are not in permanent employment are particularly encouraged to apply.
This event is generously supported by Maynooth University’s School of Law and Criminology, and Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute.
