UNHCR Standing Committee 87th Session - Agenda item 3 (b): UNHCR’s engagement with internally displaced persons - EU Statement
European Union
UNHCR Standing Committee 87th Session
14-16 June 2023
Agenda item 3 (b): UNHCR’s engagement with internally displaced persons
Statement by the European Union and its Member States
Thank you, Chair.
I am speaking on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
1. We thank UNHCR for the comprehensive background document on its engagement with internally displaced persons (IDPs), at a time when forced displacement has reached record levels worldwide. Among more than 100 million forcibly displaced persons, more than 57 million were internally displaced as of the end of 2022 – the highest figure ever – and that number keeps growing. In Europe, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to be responsible for an unprecedented internal displacement crisis, with more than 5.4 million Ukrainians currently internally displaced.
2. The EU and its Member States support UNHCR in providing life-saving humanitarian aid to IDPs and in finding durable solutions for internally displaced persons, in partnership with other organisations. Globally, forced displacement increased in 2022, and the outlook for 2023 is not encouraging. In many IDP contexts, conflict, disasters, food insecurity and the impact of climate change overlap. However, these crises often do not receive the international attention they deserve, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa.
3. We look forward to UNHCR’s upcoming independent assessment on the implementation of its commitments with respect to IDPs, as outlined in the Strategic Directions 2022-2026. The findings and recommendations of this evaluation will be useful to further inform UNHCR’s IDP strategy, role, advocacy and policies. We strongly encourage UNHCR to engage in an open dialogue with its members and partners in this process. In addition, we are following the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) assessment. We are looking forward to its recommendations, which will be presented towards the end of the year.
4. The EU and its Member States welcome UNHCR’s efforts to address IDP challenges based on field realities and strong inter-agency partnerships, with each actor contributing in line with their respective core strengths, mandates and cluster responsibilities. We note the ambitious MoUs and cooperation frameworks with IOM, UNICEF, UNDP and UN-Habitat and express our support for their implementation, based on concrete actions. We also look forward to the review later this year of the implementation of the 2014 OCHA-UNHCR “Joint Note on Mixed Situations”. A good example for UNHCR’s joined up engagement on IDP issues were initiatives in the framework of the 2023 European Humanitarian Forum, notably an event on achieving nationally own and locally-led IDP solutions, co-organised with IOM and UNDP. In this regard we underline the importance of addressing internal displacement through a HDP nexus approach. Cooperation with development partners with a view to ensure long-term sustainability and solution is of utmost importance. To this end, we encourage UNHCR to further strengthen its cooperation with development partners in this field as part of UNHCR’s contribution to the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement. To further build upon the complementary strengths of all actors it is of paramount importance to keep on including local actors. Local actors play a crucial role in the protection and assistance to IDPs. We hope that EU’s Localisation Guidance can contribute to further bolster UNHCR’s promising work on localisation.
5. As part of the Action Agenda, we have committed to support IDP Solution Advisors in Nigeria and Colombia. We will follow with great interest the results of the independent review of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Response to Internal Displacement, and commend UNHCR’s participation as core member in the Steering Group on Solutions to Internal Displacement that will operate at global and country levels. We also fully support the UNHCR-World Bank Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement and welcome its focus on socio-economic data and advocacy for the inclusion of IDPs in national policies, development and humanitarian operations. Besides, the EU has a strong partnership with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. It focusses on data and research, as well as capacity building of national and regional entities, in a few hotspots such as the Pacific, Sahel and possibly Southern Africa, to gather more in-depth regional and national analysis on IDPs and strengthen national capacities to respond to those challenges.
6. The EU and its Member States reiterate UNHCR’s key role in preserving the centrality of protection for IDPs. It is critical to address the specific vulnerabilities faced by IDPs, including gender-based violence, child protection issues, and access to documentation, education and health including mental health and psychosocial support. Welcoming UNHCR’s policy on “Durable Solutions from the Start”, we encourage new partnerships for innovative solutions that should expand access to livelihood and employment opportunities. Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, investments in anticipatory action and risk reduction measures that strengthen displaced communities’ resilience are needed. Regarding UNHCR’s results-based management approach and multi-year planning, we look forward to UNHCR providing more precise data thanks to the improved financial tracking of expenditures on internal displacement as of 2022.
7. Climate change has an increasing impact on internal displacement and is a risk multiplier. The EU’s current tenure as Chair of the Platform on Disaster Displacement has seen the conclusion as well as launch of several ambitious initiatives such as the preparation of large-scale regional development programmes in both Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to tackle climate-induced displacement. We count on UNHCR’s continued engagement and expertise in the PDD framework.
8. In concluding, the EU and its Member States underline the crucial importance of cooperation and partnership for a collective response to meet the needs of IDPs. We reiterate our support to the UN Special Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement in this respect.
Thank you.