Peacebuilding Commission session on Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Context of Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention

Peacebuilding Commission session on Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees in the Context of Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention

Julie Belanger, Senior Liaison Officer, Emergencies and Resilience (LON).

02/12/2024

Thank you, Mr Chair and distinguished guest, to giving FAO the floor.

Let me first congratulate Special Advisor Robert Piper for advancing and coalescing global efforts on durable solutions for Internally displaced populations

Allow me to highlight that displaced populations are often among the most vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition. According to the Global Report on Food Crises, in 2023, the number of forcibly displaced people (including IDPs and refugees) living in countries/territories with food crises reached over 90 million. By the end of 2023, nearly 64.3 million people were internally displaced in 38 countries and territories identified as having food crises, and about 26 million refugees and asylum seekers were hosted in 56 out of the 59 countries and territories identified as having food crises.

FAO is committed to strengthening its response to internal displacement and contributing to durable solutions. Since 2022, we have been actively supporting the Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, making concrete commitments to advance IDP-inclusive approaches. This includes generating robust data that captures the unique needs of internally displaced persons, designing targeted and inclusive programs to address their specific challenges, and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to support their recovery and resilience.

At FAO, we believe that effective peacebuilding begins at the local level. Our PBF projects across the globe aim at restoring agricultural livelihoods, improve natural resource management, and foster social cohesion between displaced populations and host communities, to prevent further resource-driven conflicts and displacement, and contribute to local peace. Taking specific contextual considerations, the projects usually also include a focus on youth and strengthening local conflict resolution structures.

Durable solutions require investments in resilience. FAO believes that it's essential to invest in programmes along the HDP Nexus, that combine food security, income generation, natural resource management and social cohesion, together with other aspects like disaster risk reduction. We see support to agri-food systems and natural resource management as a cornerstone of how FAO can contribute to peacebuilding measures. By transforming how communities produce and consume food, and utilize and share natural resources through conflict-sensitive approaches, we contribute to addressing the underlying vulnerabilities that displaced populations disproportionately suffer, to achieve self-reliance and resilience. This, in turn, contributes to achieving solutions and prevents further displacement.

Women, youth, children and persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by displacement, yet they are also key to building resilience. It is crucial that, in conflict and displacement-affected areas, women and youth have the power to lead in recovery efforts. In FAO, we empower woman and engage youth through sustainable agriculture, and we ensure that they have a voice in their communities through platforms like Farmer Field Schools and Dimitra Clubs. This gives them a stake in their communities' futures. Our agricultural interventions also address and prevent food and nutrition insecurity for children, by boosting production and processing of adequate and nutritious food.

FAO recognizes that peacebuilding cannot be achieved in a siloed approach. It requires strong partnerships. It is critical to work closely with governments, UN agencies, civil society, and local communities. Partnering with our sister agencies, such as UNHCR, WFP, UN Habitat and IOM, as well as Governments, enables us to combine expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions, ensuring that agriculture and food security interventions are integrated into broader responses, while being aligned to local peacebuilding needs and national priorities.

The Peacebuilding Commission's convening power is critical in bridging the gap between global policy and local action. FAO encourages the PBC to continue advocating for prioritizing HDP Nexus focused, resilience-building interventions within peacebuilding agendas. Without addressing the root causes of displacement, including the intertwined effects of food insecurity and resource conflicts, durable solutions will remain a challenging objective.

Mr Chair, distinguished members of the Commission,

The United Nations can more effectively support government-led peacebuilding efforts by strengthening their technical capacity, promoting evidence-based policies, and enhancing coordination across its agencies to align with national priorities. Additionally, integrating displacement prevention into national development plans and facilitating knowledge sharing through platforms like the Peacebuilding Commission can ensure comprehensive and impactful peacebuilding strategies.