UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- A high-level panel on internal displacement on Wednesday called for nationally owned solutions for more than 55 million people displaced within their own countries.

The panel, tasked by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to rethink and redesign the approach to internal displacement, presented its report to the UN chief on Wednesday, following 18 months of research and consultations.

The report made 10 recommendations, including making solutions a nationally owned, whole-of-government priority; catalyzing political will; ensuring the whole of society is invested; making better use of the capacities of the private sector for solutions; harnessing international financing for solutions; addressing the drivers of displacement and reducing displacement risks; strengthening the quality of protection and assistance to internally displaced persons and host communities.

The report laments "a collective failure" to prevent, address and resolve internal displacement, but also identifies real opportunities to bring about shifts in the approaches and practices.

Speaking at a virtual event for the presentation of the report, Guterres thanked the panel for a job well done in very difficult circumstances due to COVID-19.

"This panel managed to do a very adequate analysis of the drivers of displacement, of the situation of the displaced people, and of the ways to address their situation and to solve their problems," he said.

"This work will be our guiding instrument to make sure that we are able to change what needs to be changed in order for the people to have their rights fully recognized, and their integration in the political, economic and social systems of their countries fully met, and a solution for their plight found."

One important thing is the recognition by the panel that there are not enough institutional mechanisms to allow for effective coordination of the efforts in relation to internal displacement, said Guterres.

Unlike refugees whose rights are protected by international law, internally displaced persons live in their own countries, often under the authority of non-state actors, making their protection, return and reintegration more complex, he said.

"You have done fantastic work. Now it's our time to correspond to that fantastic work to make things move in the right direction," he told the co-chairs of the panel. Enditem