Building solutions for the world’s 83 million internally displaced persons: Recent lessons on how

Authored by Robert Piper, former Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary‑General on Solutions to Internal Displacement, this article outlines Piper’s reflections on key lessons gathered during his 30-month mandate dedicated to advancing durable solutions for the world’s internally displaced population. It focuses on the solutions dimension – how to break the persistent and worrying pattern of protracted displacement. Drawing on experience across multiple countries and agencies, the paper explores the enduring challenge of translating widely accepted principles – such as government-led recovery and integrated development financing – into concrete, coordinated action.