phase, and to the post crisis response and reconstruction phase. IOM also created a repository of more than 300 good practices garnered from States, civil society, international organizations and from the private sector with the idea that by learning from the ground up, it would be possible to share good responses and do a better job collectively at protection and assistance. Dr Chaloka Beyani, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics and former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of Internally displaced persons, noted that most of the displaced populations in humanitarian situations in the world today are persons belonging to minorities. Vulnerability to displacement in the context of humanitarian crises may be heightened by discriminatory policies or practices affecting minority communities, as well as by other factors such as intercommunal disturbances, interfaith tensions and business activities and extractive industries displacing minority populations from their lands. The displacement of minorities in humanitarian crisis situations warrants greater research and data globally to reveal the full impact of displacement on such communities, as well as regional trends, patterns and dynamics of displacement involved. The collection of data disaggregated not only by sex and age, but also by ethnicity and religion, would help predict and prevent displacement targeted against certain communities and would contribute to much needed risk assessment and early warning mechanisms. Arbitrary displacement based for example on ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination is prohibited. As Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internationally displaced persons, he had noticed that persons belong to minorities he met in situation of displacement were often among the poorest, and may have experienced different forms of marginalization prior to displacement. Minority members often lacked the necessary documentation to obtain housing, or retain land and property, and women and children faced specific challenges due to intersecting forms of discrimination. He also commented on the lack of opportunity for minorities to participate in decisions affecting them, the complex issue of return for minorities who may face continuing harassment upon return, and the sensitive issue of local integration and settlement. In his view, the system of protection of IDPs in practice is oblivious to the importance of protecting the characteristics of minorities during displacement. Ms Laura Ronkainen, Joint Internally Displaced Persons Profiling Services (JIPS), presented the work of JIPS, an interagency service that supports governments, humanitarian and development actors on profiling, collaborative data collection and analysis in displacement situations to inform evidence-based responses. She talked about the difficulty to obtain disaggregated data on minorities in the context of humanitarian crisis, because the need for such data might be overlooked by actors, but also because minorities may be a sensitive topic in some situations. She explained how collecting information about displaced persons’ clan, religion or ethnicity could be perceived as aggravating existing tensions and could discourage certain stakeholders to take part in the process. Ms Ronkainen believed however that improving the practice of collecting and analyzing data in a way that captures minority populations is at the core of overcoming humanitarian challenges, finding durable solutions to displacement, and building and sustaining peace. She explained the technical tools and methodologies that characterize 9