In today's world, the principle of national sovereignty is still the cornerstone of intemational relations. While international humanitar­ ian and human rights instruments offer legally binding bases for international protection and assistance of people at risk within national borders, for the most part such people are at the mercy of their national authorities. This is particularly the case for some 25 million persons in over 40 countries, who are uprooted and at risk within their own coun­ tries as a result of internal conflicts, communal violence, or egregious violations of human rights. Additional millions of internally displaced persons (!DPs) are forcibly displaced by natural disasters and develop­ ment projects. International access to them can be tragically constrained and even blocked by states in the name of sovereignty or by the collapse of states and rampant insecurity.