Addressing Internal Displacement within Post-Conflict Reconstruction Efforts: Kosovo 1999-2008

This bachelor thesis deals with the academic discourse relating to the issues of internal displacement and its addressing within the post-conflict peace operations and reconstruction efforts. Particularly, this thesis scrutinizes these processes with respect to the return policy of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kosovo in the course of 1999-2008. The objective of this study is to examine the way the theoretical background on the internal displacement was applied on the return policy of IDPs designed by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) during the respective period. In doing so, this case study explored the patterns of practical implementation, its successes and shortcomings. The return of IDPs was considered as an inextricable part of the post-conflict reconstruction process in Kosovo. Therefore, addressing of the return policy was put on the top of the UNMIK's agenda. The analysis of the return policy revealed that the contemporary discourse on internal displacement influenced return policy in the following aspects: emphasis on the minority returns, a right to sustainable return, and introduction of restitution mechanisms. However, despite these efforts, UNMIK repeatedly failed to promote a breakthrough in the return process, thus only very limited cases of returns occurred. The main..