The UN General Assembly on Friday appointed Donald Kaberuka, a former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), as a member of its high level-Panel on Internal Displacement, an official statement confirmed.
As the first high-level panel established to address this global challenge, it draws together expertise from government, international organizations, civil society and the private sector.
It also includes representation from countries particularly affected by displacement.
Reports said that last year the number of people displaced as a result of conflict reached an all-time high of more than 41 million.
In the same year, an additional 17 million people were displaced by natural disasters.
The UN Secretary-General has tasked the Panel with finding concrete long-term solutions to and raising global awareness of internal displacement for member states and the United Nations to improve their efforts to help all those affected, including both the displaced and their host communities, it said.
The latest 2019 Africa Report on Internal Displacement indicates that Africa hosts over one-third of the global forced displacement population.
It shows that as at 31 December 2018, the continent hosted some 17.8 million internally displaced persons.
Currently, millions of people are forced to flee their homes or places of habitual residence each year, including in the context of conflict, violence, development projects, disasters and climate change, and remain displaced within their countries of residence.
Millions more live in situations of protracted displacement or face chronic displacement risk, it said.
CU/as/APA