EU statement - UNHCR 93rd Standing Committee - Agenda item 4 a): UNHCR’s engagement with internally displaced persons

UNHCR 93^d Standing Committee 

17-19 June 2025

Agenda item 4 a): UNHCR’s engagement with internally displaced persons

Statement by the European Union and its Member States 

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. 

1. We would like to thank UNHCR for the relevant background document on its engagement with internally displaced persons. In the past six years, the number of internally displaced persons has more than doubled, reaching a record-breaking 83.4 million people by the end of 2024. While new displacements are mostly triggered by both conflict and disasters, the ever-increasing number is also linked to the lack of sustainable solutions offered to internally displaced persons for example access to quality education, health, including sexual and reproductive health care services. Working in partnership with local authorities, civil society and displaced persons is crucial to designing contextualised and sustainable responses. This shows that we must reinforce efforts to cooperate with Governments to identify sustainable solutions for their displaced citizens. 
    

2. The EU and its Member States reaffirm their commitment to advancing the three interconnected goals of the Secretary General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement:addressing the vulnerabilities and needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), including their protection; preventing new and recurring displacements; and supporting sustainable solutions for those affected. We remain among the world's leading donors in situations of forced displacement, and we intend to continue in our commitment. At the same time, more is needed, and we call upon others to step up their efforts. We commend those that have recently increased their funding to UNHCR and other relevant actors, as well as those States that advanced solutions for their displaced persons. In line with the Action Agenda, we support the transition from emergency assistance to sustainable solutions through a joint humanitarian, development and peace approach.
    

3. The EU and its Member States welcome UNHCR's efforts together with UNDP, IOM and other stakeholders to keep the discussion on internal displacement and sustainable solutions on the global agenda after the end of ASG Piper’s mandate. The joint Guidance on Solutions to Internal Displacement is a first important step, clarifying the procedures and structures in place to continue improving the work on solutions. It is imperative that the progress achieved through ASG Piper’s efforts is solidified and integrated into the UN systems’ approach to displacement. This should be done through the Global Solutions Hub for Internal Displacement, the Global Solutions Working Group, and the Steering Group on Solutions to Internal Displacement. More importantly, it should also involve the UN Country Teams, local coordination mechanisms, and the cooperation with national Governments and non-governmental organisations. We encourage UNHCR and its sister agencies in the UN Country Teams to work hand in hand with the Governments and to strengthen the coordination of activities tackling internal displacement, to identify additional pathways to sustainable solutions, as well as to anticipate and mitigate future displacements – including with international financial institutions like the World Bank. We would also appreciate a better understanding on the modalities through which UNHCR, IOM and UNDP would ensure regular joint reporting on the progress made to offer sustainable solutions in the targeted pilot countries for the action agenda. 
    

4. Finally, the EU and its Member States welcome UNHCR’s strategic positioning in drawing on partnerships with other actors while delivering with a strengthened focus on its protection mandate, as described in the UNHCR Strategic Plan for Protection and Solutions of Internally Displaced People (2024-2030). We are interested to hear from UNHCR about the progress in implementing the plan and the actions being taken in response to the recommendations from the IASC review on internal displacement in March 2024. The review notably invited UNHCR to promote its comparative advantage in protection, enhance needs-based programming, including anticipatory action and shock-responsive safety nets linked to social-protection system, prioritise using transparent criteria, and clearly define its role in working towards durable solutions in partnership with other stakeholders. 

Thank you.