-
Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to the European Parliament, Brussels, 21 February 2006
21 Feb 2006 Changing paradigm: mixed flows
Reduction in refugee numbers may reflect barriers erected to deter irregular migration
So it's becoming more difficult for those who need to to flee
Attempts are getting riskier (e.g. Gulf of Aden smugglers, Mediterranean)
Welcomes EU's efforts to develop common asylum policy
Fighting intolerance
Intolerance a "serious threat to world peace and the cohesion of our societies"
Changing paradigm: IDPs
Estimated 25 million internally displaced worldwide
New UN approach to dealing with this now being tested in DRC, Uganda and Liberia
Mandate for action in West Darfur cannot be fulfilled because no political solution and high levels of insecurity
The challenge of making solutions sustainable
Empty camps and full trucks no good unless the return is sustainable -
Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to the United Nations Security Council, New York, 24 January 2006
24 Jan 2006 I. Operational Overview
2 urgent challenges:
- Sudan: Darfur imploding, insecurity spread across border to Chad; start of voluntary repatriation in South, international assistance crucial to its sustainability; security situation deteriorating in East
- Great Lakes: in particular Burundi (confidence among potential returnees dropping); and DRC (security situation deteriorating, return becoming another flight)
II. Refugee Returns and Sustainability
Need for peace and recovery for refugee returns
Equally need for refugee returns for peace and recovery
III. Relief to Development Gap: the Peacebuilding Process
Links between humanitarian aid and development efforts simply not working
Returns unsustainable without development
Important role of women in peacebuilding
IV. The importance of prevention
Central African and Côte d'Ivoire situations being monitored closely
V. Asylum and intolerance
Must identify refugees in mixed migration flows -
Opening Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to the High Commissioner's Forum, Geneva, 17 November 2005
17 Nov 2005 This meeting devoted entirely to Convention Plus
Many current repatriations may not be durable, because "peace is fragile, jobs are scarce, education and health services limited, and infrastructure often just a theory"
Also problem of mixed migration flows
So although Convention Plus to be mainstreamed, HC wants a continued forum for discussion of "broader strategic issues"
UNHCR soon to launch its Resettlement Service
Committed to 4Rs approach -
Statement by António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, 60th Session, New York, 9 November 2005
9 Nov 2005 -
Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to the Parliamentary League, Tokyo, 25 October 2005
25 Oct 2005 Parliamentary League's S-G to visit Kakuma camp (Kenya) soon
Recommends more parliamentarians to visit UNHCR's operations on the ground, "the best way to learn about the work UNHCR does"
Thanks Human Security Trust Fund Japan for its continued financial support
However, also wants Japan to consider becoming a resettlement country -
Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the United Nations University, Tokyo, 24 October 2005
24 Oct 2005 Strong UNHCR support for World Summit Outcome consensus on establishing Peacebuilding Commission
Rebuilding societies after conflict vital for UNHCR's work (encourages repatriation and makes it more sustainable)
Recent examples of failure to rebuild: Liberia, Haiti, DRC
Human security the answer to most displacement-related problems
Hopes that Peacebuilding Commission will create bridge between UNHCR relief, and development support from e.g. World Bank, UNDP
Key to maintaining fragile peace are rule of law and effective demobilisation/disarmament
Big example of country moving into challenges of development phase: Afghanistan
Chechens also returning to a country without shelter, education, health care -
Remarks by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on the occasion of the European Union Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs, Luxembourg, 12 October 2005
12 Oct 2005 Welcome EU's Regional Protection Programmes initiative
Cautions that this needs to be coordinated with other initiatives e.g. Søderkøping process
Particularly welcomes the resettlement component
Also warns that it must not be seen as replacing the commitment to asylum in Europe
3 main challenges faced:
- rising intolerance: commitment of European countries to the asylum process not wholly convincing
- mixed flows: stresses obligation to respect basic rights, whether refugee or not
- development gap: African examples from Mali (cotton), Sudan, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire
The pilot RPP is small, but it's at least a start -
Closing Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Concluding Meeting of the CIS Conference Process, Geneva, 10 October 2005
10 Oct 2005 Following break-up of Soviet Union, flows included , internally displaced persons, deported groups, stateless persons, involuntary resettlers, and ecological and irregular migrants
Regional stability threatened, General Assembly backed requests for international help
CIS Conference the result
Lasted 10 years
Aim to enable states to manage displacement and migration problems in a humane and effective manner
Still issues with security, terrorism, border management, regional migration, human trafficking, and xenophobia
Future needs recognition that the area is not monolithic, with some approaches focused on specific countries
CIS countries themselves must now assume ownership of the continuing process
Pleased that Russia has contributed financially to help make this happen -
Closing Statement by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Fifty-sixth Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme (ExCom), Geneva, 7 October 2005
7 Oct 2005 Congratulations to sovereign states with legitimately differing concerns on agreement on local integraiton
Re protection in today's world, as an ex-prime minister, aware of importance to governments of public opinion
However, "rather than bow to public opinion, we should aim to lead it"
Mainstreaming Convention Plus