Protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons A/RES/68/180 9. Also welcomes the adoption and entry into force of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), which builds on the Protocol on the Protection of and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons and the Protocol on the Property Rights of Returning Persons adopted by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and which marks a significant step towards strengthening the national and regional normative framework for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons in Africa, encourages African States to consider signing and/or ratifying the Convention, and encourages other regional mechanisms to consider the development of their own regional normative frameworks for the protection of internally displaced persons; 10. Recognizes that Member States have the primary responsibility to promote durable solutions for their internally displaced persons, thus contributing to their national, economic and social development processes, and encourages the international community, the United Nations system, the Special Rapporteur, relevant international and regional organizations and donor countries to continue to support international, regional and national efforts to meet the needs of internally displaced persons on the basis of solidarity, the principles of international cooperation and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement3 and to ensure that humanitarian assistance, early recovery and development assistance efforts are appropriately funded; 11. Expresses particular concern about the grave problems faced by many internally displaced women and children, especially violence, exploitation and abuse, including sexual and gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, forced recruitment and abduction, and encourages the continued commitment of the Special Rapporteur to promote action to address their particular assistance, protection and development needs, as well as those of other groups with special needs, such as severely traumatized individuals, older persons and persons with disabilities, taking into account all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council; 12. Emphasizes the importance of consultation with internally displaced persons and host communities by Governments and other relevant actors, in accordance with their specific mandates, during all phases of displacement, as well as the participation of internally displaced persons, where appropriate, in policies, programmes and activities pertaining to them, taking into account the primary responsibility of States for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons within their jurisdiction; 13. Calls upon States, in cooperation with international agencies and other stakeholders, to particularly provide for and support the full and meaningful participation of internally displaced women, at all levels of decision-making processes and in all activities that have a direct impact on their lives, in all aspects of internal displacement, including the promotion and protection of human rights, the prevention of human rights violations and the design and implementation of durable solutions, peace processes, peacebuilding, transitional justice, post-conflict reconstruction and development; 14. Notes the importance of taking the human rights and the specific protection and assistance needs of internally displaced persons into consideration, when appropriate, in peace processes, and emphasizes that durable solutions for internally displaced persons, including through voluntary return, sustainable 5/8