UNHCR 95th Standing Committee - Joint Statement - Agenda item 3v Regional updates: Europe
UNHCR 95th Standing Committee
25 March 2026
Agenda item 3v Regional updates: Europe
Statement by like-minded European States
Chair,
I am honoured to speak on behalf 33 like-minded European States.
We value the continued and indispensable engagement of UNHCR across Europe. In a context marked by record levels of global displacement, protracted crises, ongoing conflicts and evolving protection needs, UNHCR’s expertise, operational presence and normative role remain essential in supporting us, upholding international refugee law and ensuring access to protection for those in need.
We warmly welcome the High Commissioner’s recent visit to Ukraine. Ukraine has been suffering for more than four years under Russia’s full-scale war of aggression. We reiterate our resolute condemnation of Russia’s war as flagrant violation of the UN Charter, and reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
Europe continues to provide international protection for millions of Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, including temporary protection that several countries of the region have extended until 2027, providing stability and predictability. We thank UNHCR for its continued operational support, including protection monitoring, legal support and targeted assistance for persons in vulnerable situations. UNHCR field presence is critical in helping identify those whose needs may not yet be met in Ukraine, and those who may require a longer-term stay in countries of the region.
We underline the importance of sustained humanitarian support to the most vulnerable displaced persons from Ukraine living in the Republic of Moldova, in view of their integration in the national social protection systems. In this regard, strengthening resilience and institutional capacity remains essential. In Armenia, continued protection monitoring, case management and legal assistance remain central for persons in vulnerable situations, including displaced Karabakh Armenians. We continue to support the refugees from the Karabakh region and continue to advocate for the inclusion of refugees into national social protection schemes.
We remain firmly committed to international refugee law, including the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol, to the principle of non-refoulement, and the spirit of solidarity towards
hosting countries, including through the Global Compact for Refugees. Ensuring access to protection for those in need remains essential, including through resettlement and humanitarian admission in the framework of the first Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Plan 2026-2027.
At the same time, protection systems must be sustainable and capable of responding effectively to evolving challenges. This requires fair and efficient asylum procedures, adequate reception conditions, and effective and dignified return of persons who are not found to be in need of international protection, in full respect of international law. Such elements are important to preserve the protection space for those in genuine need.
We welcome the entering into the implementation phase of the Pact on Migration and Asylum of the EU. Once fully operational, the Pact will strengthen preparedness and resilience within the EU’s migration and asylum framework. Continued cooperation with UNHCR remains important in this context.
We remain concerned about trafficking in human beings, which exploits vulnerable persons and endangers lives. We also condemn migrant smuggling and the instrumentalisation of asylum seekers and migrants, as well as their weaponisation by Russia and Belarus as part of hybrid actions aimed at destabilising the region. Strengthening international cooperation is crucial to address these challenges and to create a fair and sustainable migration and asylum system in full respect of international law. We support strengthened international cooperation along migratory routes through the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling.
We stand ready to support UNHCR, consistent with the Humanitarian Reset and the UN80 initiatives and will continue to promote durable solutions, international cooperation and effective protection systems that are humane, sustainable and resilient.