DHC’s keynote speech: Working together for solutions and inclusion symposium

Global displacement and statelessness: Why we need to act together now

Mina-san, kon ni chiwa.

My name is Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

It’s my privilege and great pleasure to welcome you to this Symposium today.

I last visited Japan in 2019 and it is wonderful to be back again.

Today, we have come together to discuss the global need for shared responsibility for refugees, and how a whole-of-society approach can deliver lasting and dignified solutions for displaced and stateless people everywhere.

Acknowledgments – people of Japan / GOJ

First, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Japanese people for their support for refugees around the world, in particular Ukraine. The response when UNHCR put out the call for support last year was unprecedented and very much appreciated.

Japan is one of the major donor countries providing humanitarian and development aid and is a key supporter of UNHCR.

I commend Japan’s effort to protect refugees – from Ukrainians seeking safety in Japan to its decision to grant refugee status to people who fled Syria, Myanmar, as well as Afghanistan after the takeover by Taliban in August 2021.

Japan has recently announced Emergency Grant Aid for several new and on-going displacement crises including:

• US$ 2M for the Sudan situation (to aid the surrounding countries, including South Sudan, Chad and Egypt which are receiving thousands of people fleeing the fighting)
• US$ 2M for the DRC situation (to aid the influx of Congolese refugees to Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda).
• A second round of aid for Turkiye-Syria Earthquake relief totalling US$ 1.5M (for Syria and cross border operations)

Recognition of civil society / universities

I applaud Japanese civil society actors, including NGOs, cities, schools, and universities – as well as those individuals who have donated or made in-kind contributions. Many have opened employment and education pathways to protect and support displaced and stateless people, both in Japan and worldwide.

Recognition of private sector

We are also very grateful for the support from Japan’s private sector. At the onset of the Ukraine situation, Japanese companies were among the first to donate. The flexible and quick funding was needed and deeply appreciated in a time when the crisis was fast evolving and unpredictable.

We hope the flood of support in Japan for the Ukraine emergency will extend to increased understanding on refugee issues all around the world.

Partners such as Sony have consistently responded to our emergency appeals with donations which have enabled us to quickly respond to urgent needs. Companies such as Fast Retailing and Toyota Tsusho are working with us to develop solutions in protracted situations.

Fast Retailing has also been leading the way in refugee employment with positive results, raising awareness and increasing trust among customers, employees, corporate partners, and the government.

Recognition of cities

The role of cities and municipalities in creating inclusive communities and promoting hope has never been as important. I would like to convey my sincere gratitude for Japan’s local communities support for the Ukraine emergency.

Cities, following on from the demand of their citizens, have welcomed displaced people. They have used innovative approaches (such as a fund-raising tax scheme) to help us to deliver life-saving assistance, food, shelter and cash, in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.

Make no mistake, solutions to refugee crises, for Ukraine and beyond, start at the local level and require that everyone plays a part: every city, every neighbourhood, and every individual can contribute.

State of global displacement

2023 has been a year where international standards of refugee protection have been severely tested due to the overlapping crises of conflict, insecurity, underdevelopment, natural disasters such as earthquakes, and climate change.

The number of people forced to flee their homes rose to 103 million worldwide in 2022. This means 1 in every 78 people on earth has been forced to flee. If nothing is done to stop this trend, the number of displaced persons around the world could soon reach or exceed the population of Japan.

While Ukraine has been top-of-mind for many people since the invasion by Russia in February 2022, there are other emergencies including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and Ethiopia among others, and severe droughts are affecting those forcibly displaced, and continued support from the Japanese people and government is very much needed.

Humanitarian programmes for refugees, which are often underfunded, are under more strain given the growing needs of displaced people. For example, the Sudan refugee response will need US$ 445 million to support rising numbers fleeing the conflict in Sudan. This is a preliminary projection for financial and operational planning up until October. More help is urgently needed.

Displacement situations are becoming more protracted, leaving people in exile sometimes for decades. 83 percent of forcibly displaced people live in low- and middle-income countries with their own sustainable development challenges; host communities have welcomed people forced to flee but global solidarity is needed.

UNHCR is committed to staying and delivering – but we can’t do it alone. More help is needed.to save lives and build better futures for millions forced from home.

We have a collective responsibility to transform our response to refugee movements, while redoubling our efforts to address the root causes of forced displacement and statelessness.

Key tenet of Global Compact on Refugees / SDGs

This brings me to why we are gathered here today.

There is widespread global recognition of why we need to change the way we respond to forced displacement. We need to work together to bring about solutions and greater inclusion for millions of displaced and stateless people

Responsibility for refugees needs to be shared by all countries. The onus is on us all to make it work.

The Global Compact on Refugees is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing. Established in 2018, it provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that host communities get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives – a whole of society approach is needed.

Its four key objectives are to:

• Ease the pressures on host countries
• Enhance refugee self-reliance
• Expand access to third-country solutions
• Support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity

The Global Compact on Refugees explicitly links forced displacement with the Sustainable Development Goals and provides support for efforts to ensure refugees are not left behind.

This is at the heart of our mandate at UNHCR.

We need to make sure that forcibly displaced and stateless people are included in the wave of progress and development. If we exclude a group of 100 million people, we cannot achieve sustainable development for all.

Global Refugee Forum / Japan’s co-convening role in 2023

A year after the historic adoption of the Compact, the Global Refugee Forum provided a critical opportunity to build momentum and strengthen a collective response – from all levels of society – to refugee situations.

The Global Refugee Forum in 2019 was the first of its kind – a major world gathering on refugees to generate wide-ranging commitments, pledges, and actions in support of a better global response to the challenges that refugee situations pose.

The second Global Refugee Forum in December 2023 in Geneva will be a key moment to reflect on what each of us can do and solidify commitments through pledges. The Government of Japan is co-convening along with other government partners.

It’s a proud moment for Japan and the Japanese people to commit to helping countries hosting refugees and pledge toward lasting solutions abroad and at home.

How different actors can play a part

The Global Refugee Forum is a platform to exchange good practices and develop forward-looking and impactful contributions to help the international community transform the lives of refugees, their host communities, and others who benefit from having a more inclusive and diverse society.

The Forum is a unique platform to go beyond “business as usual” and, most importantly, translate the core objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees into action, in the form of high-quality, high-impact pledges and commitments.

It is an opportunity for groups at all levels of society to pledge commitments, making the most effective and innovative use of Japan’s expertise and rich resources (including financial, in-kind, human, technology and innovation, arts and sports).

For example, linking with SDGs and diversity, cities could explore education sessions for children, youth and the general public to learn about multi-cultural co-existence and integration of foreign residents.

The private sector could commit to employ refugees. The legal community could pledge to provide pro bono legal support. Academic institutions could take concrete measures to facilitate better access to tertiary education through dedicated scholarship programmes.

Contributions can be made individually or jointly with partners, such as making inclusive policy commitments, joining or developing initiatives, or monitoring and research.

Pledges can be financial, material, or in the form of policy reforms, that advance protection and refugee inclusion. As the needs remain rather vast, the scope for engagement would ideally focus on the key areas where needs are greatest and our ambitions are highest, which could be towards new financing models, climate action, economic inclusion, health, education, resettlement, peace, and many others.

UNHCR is also exploring the development of a number of large-scale, transformational of what we are referring to as “mega-pledges” which will bring together multiple stakeholders towards a common theme, that speak to sustainably addressing global challenges such as economic inclusion, health, climate, legal aid, solutions, and many others.

Everyone has a role to play: the private sector, development agencies and financial institutions, all levels of government, civil society, faith groups, media, youth groups, refugees themselves and all of YOU.

Please take with you today what commitments or pledges you can make to help forcibly displaced persons and build more sustainable, fairer, and inclusive societies and economies for the benefit of all.

We stand ready to have this conversation with you in a spirit of true partnership.

I hope you will be inspired and enjoy today’s session.

Arigato gozaimasu

Thank you.