This ICRC Issues Paper is an important part of the ICRC's advocacy for IDPs in Serbia and Montenegro. It coincides with the closure of all ICRC Assistance activities in Serbia and Montenegro, which have been running continuously, in favour of the Internally Displaced Population, since 1999. Some final reflections are provided on the impact of these ICRC activities, and attention is drawn to the Humanitarian, Legal and Protection Environment in which the Internally Displaced Population continues to live in.

This paper makes reference to the findings of a recently completed full Internal Review of ICRC Economic Security Programmes undertaken between 2001 and 2004, which demonstrated the impact made through relatively new approaches for the ICRC, namely four Micro-economic Initiatives and a Cash Assistance Programme.

As part of the 2005 Internal Review, the ICRC also commissioned a Household Economy Assessment of the needs of the IDP population in Serbia and Montenegro. The findings of the assessment have been highlighted, as they explain the continuing humanitarian needs of the IDP population, which are themselves closely linked to wider protection concerns of the ICRC.