Kurt Viermetz Lecture

The Rights of the Displaced in a World of Conflict, Chaos, and Dysfunction: Progress or Peril—or Both?

In recent years, governments and international institutions have increased their efforts to promote durable solutions for global refugees, people who have been forced to cross borders, and internally displaced persons. These efforts include World Bank programs to promote labor-market access for refugees in host communities, refugee rights-related commitments by governments in the Global Compact for Refugees, recognition of climate as a driver of forced migration, and the UN Secretary General’s appointment of a Special Advisor of Solutions to Internal Displacement, among others. Yet, at the same time, governments around the world have made it more difficult for forced migrants to obtain asylum at borders, and the number of people displaced due to conflict, persecution, and violations of human rights now stands at over 100 million. In this talk, Eric Schwarz looks at this bifurcated reality to ask, “How do we assess the progress, or the lack thereof, in the norms of global protection?”