The challenge of internal displacement  

Internal displacement is at an all-time high, driven by war, violence, disasters, and the escalating impacts of climate change. By the end of 2024, 83 million people were displaced within their own countries— more than double the number from a decade ago. Ongoing crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine are forcing millions more into long-term limbo. Looking ahead, the World Bank warns that climate change alone could displace over 216 million people within their borders by 2050. 

A need for new partnerships and collective action 

The Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) convenes governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society and will launch a process towards a joint Call to Action on solutions to internal displacement that builds and leverages the momentum created by the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement. The Hamburg Call to Action on Internal Displacement aims to build a broad coalition of public and private actors over the next year to forge concrete commitments and collective action.  

The Hamburg Call to Action on Internal Displacement  

1. Breakthroughs and Commitments on Solutions to Internal Displacement 

In 2019, 57 Member States called on the UN Secretary-General to establish a a High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement. The Panel concluded that a breakthrough is possible—for millions of IDPs, host communities, and displacement-affected countries—if there is a fundamental shift in the current approach to solutions. Key conclusions included: (1) National ownership, responsibility, and accountability must be central. States must recognize IDPs and host communities as rights-holding citizens and residents of their own countries; (2) Internal displacement must not be treated solely as a humanitarian issue. It is deeply connected to governance, development, climate change, human rights, and peace; and (3) Addressing the root causes of displacement is essential. This means acting early when conflict or violence is emerging and investing in disaster risk reduction to lower the risks of displacement. 

The Hamburg Call to Action highlights the need to intensify global efforts toward achieving breakthroughs on solutions to internal displacement, and to renew commitment to the prevention of forced displacement. This means moving from recognition to concrete, measurable action. 

• States affected by internal displacement formally recognize internal displacement as a national development priority, and integrate prevention, response, and durable solutions into national and local development plans and budgets, as well as in key sectoral policies and strategies.
• Member States commit to recognize internal displacement as a global development priority, integrating it into key agendas such as the 2030 Agenda, Leave No One Behind, disaster risk reduction, climate action, urban development, peacebuilding, and development financing. Support for data systems on displacement is also encouraged.
• The international community commits to supporting displacement-affected states through technical assistance, long-term partnerships, and capacity building. This includes involving displaced communities in decision-making, strengthening national data systems, and promoting whole-of-government coordination on solutions.
• All actors—governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector—commit to urgently address the root causes of displacement, through stronger integration of displacement risk into conflict prevention, peacebuilding and climate action, including disaster risk reduction governance and resilience-building. 

2. Harnessing development finance and closing the gap  

Most countries facing internal displacement already struggle with severe funding shortfalls and limited financial access to meet SDGs by 2030. The majority of IDPs live in developing countries, where the annual SDG financing gap is estimated at USD 4 trillion. In the past two years, a new generation of government-led, costed solutions strategies has emerged in countries like the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Somalia, committing over 11 million IDPs to a clear solutions pathway.  

The Hamburg Call to Action spotlights the need to better harness traditional and new sources of development finance for displacement-affected communities, and to support governments in delivering their IDP solutions plans. Just as we need an ‘all-of-government’ approach on solutions—we must tap all sources of financing—public, private, domestic, and international. 

• Development partners—including bilateral, multilateral, IFIs, philanthropies, and CSOs—commit to support governments in implementing strategic financing for IDP solutions and to systematically integrate displacement prevention and solutions into policies, programming, and financing across all development efforts.
• States and partners integrate internal displacement into Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and public finance systems, ensuring IDP needs are reflected in national and local budgets, with support for equitable tax systems and strengthened public financial management aligned with development goals.
• Public and private actors explore innovative and diverse financing mechanisms—including blended finance, thematic debt instruments, insurance, and risk-sharing tools—to scale resources for solutions.
• States, development partners, and other actors commit to de-risk private investment in displacement-affected communities—especially in infrastructure and energy—while promoting local economic inclusion through legal identity, financial access, MSME support, and improved business environments for IDPs, host, and return communities. 

The Hamburg Call to Action and the year ahead  

The Hamburg Call to Action on Internal Displacement aims to build a coalition of public and private partners committed to developing long-term, sustainable solutions to the escalating challenge of internal displacement. All interested partners amongst governments, development partners, the private sector and civil society are welcome to join this initiative.  

Following the HSC in June 2025 further consultations will take place on the Call to Action to broaden the support base, align intentions and commitments and discuss coordination mechanisms.   

The Hamburg Call to Action Coalition will meet in September 2025 to review progress on building support to the Call to Action, take stock on the consultations with stakeholders and to discuss follow up steps. Progress on the implementation of the Hamburg Call to Action will be reviewed at the next HSC in 2026. 

To express interest in joining the coalition please email the  global.solutions.hub@un.org whom will act as the interim Secretariat for the process.