UNHCR 90th Standing Committee Agenda item 4 a): UNHCR’s engagement with internally displaced persons EU Statement

UNHCR 90^th Standing Committee

1-3 July 2024

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

Statement by the European Union and its Member States

2 July 2024

Chair,

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

The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia[1], Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

1. We would like to thank UNHCR for the relevant background document on its engagement with internally displaced persons. The number of internally displaced persons continues to rise, reaching each year levels previously unheard of. This is deeply concerning.

2. The EU and its Member States reaffirm their commitment to advancing the three interlinked goals of the Secretary General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, which are to address vulnerabilities and meet the needs of IDPs, including their protection needs, to prevent new and repeated displacements, and to support sustainable solutions for them. We remain among the world's leading donors in situations of forced displacement, including internal displacement, but urgently call upon others to step up their efforts. We commend those states 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 to continue engaging with IDPs in increasingly challenging contexts based on partnerships, as illustrated in particular by the future consultation on UNHCR's Strategic Plan for Protection and Solutions of Internally Displaced People. We are interested to hear more from UNHCR on how it is implementing the recommendations from the recent IASC review on internal displacement, which notably invited UNHCR to promote its comparative advantage in protection, enhance needs-based programming, prioritise based on transparent criteria, and establish clear boundaries for UNHCR's role on working towards durable solutions in partnership with other stakeholders.

4. Finally, the EU and its Member States urge UNHCR, as a member of the UN Steering Group on Solutions to Internal Displacement as well as a key stakeholder of the Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, to do its utmost, working hand in hand with host governments, to ensure the continuation by the UN system of the efforts spearheaded by the UN Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement over the past two years beyond the end of his mandate this December. It is imperative that gains made as a result of ASG Piper's efforts are solidified and embedded in the UN systems' efforts on displacement. We encourage UNHCR to build strong partnerships with the other members of the UN Steering Group on Solutions to Internal Displacement in this regard, in particular IOM and UNDP. We would appreciate to better understand how UNHCR will ensure regular reporting in this area, notably at the next sessions of the UNHCR Standing Committee.

Thank you.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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