Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GENEVA281
2009-04-06 07:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
US Mission Geneva
Cable title:  

UNHCR 44TH STANDING COMMITTEE: FOCUS ON REFUGEE

Tags:  PHUM PREF PREL 
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P 060751Z APR 09
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8249
INFO AMEMBASSY ACQA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ADDIS QBA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 
RUEHQAMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 0525
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 
USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
UNCLAS GENEVA 000281 


PRM REFCOORDS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL
SUBJECT: UNHCR 44TH STANDING COMMITTEE: FOCUS ON REFUGEE
REINTEGRATION, IDPS, AND PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS

REF: A. GENEVA 238

B. GENEVA 250

UNCLAS GENEVA 000281


PRM REFCOORDS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL
SUBJECT: UNHCR 44TH STANDING COMMITTEE: FOCUS ON REFUGEE
REINTEGRATION, IDPS, AND PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONS

REF: A. GENEVA 238

B. GENEVA 250


1. (U) SUMMARY. During the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR's) March 3-5, 2008 Standing
Committee meeting, UNHCR managers briefed Member States on
progress made in three thematic areas: a) return and
reintegration of displaced populations; b) the global work
plan for internally displaced persons (IDPs) operations and
progress on mainstreaming these efforts into UNHCR's regular
operations; and c) the High Commissioner's 2008 Dialogue on
protracted refugee situations. Ensuring stronger
coordination between UNHCR and UN agencies, governments, NGOs
and development actors, as well as ensuring that UNHCR
focuses on its mandated responsibilities were the key
messages to UNHCR by Standing Committee members under this
agenda item. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Return and Reintegration
--------------


2. (U) Assistant High Commissioner for Operations (AHC-O)
Judy Cheng-Hopkins presented an update on implementation of
UNHCR's policy framework and strategy in support of the
return and reintegration of displaced populations. Since
issuing its reintegration policy framework in September 2008,
UNHCR has been actively supporting operations and working
with partners to put this policy into practice. UNHCR's
overarching objective is to be more assertive in engaging in
early recovery programs located in areas where refugees
and/or IDPs have returned. An important strategic aspect of
UNHCR's role is to advocate strongly for the inclusion of
reintegration needs in national and area recovery/development
plans. Cheng-Hopkins noted that this has now become a
standard approach in reintegration operations. She explained
that UNHCR is an active participant in the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF),"One UN" and other
inter-agency planning processes in all reintegration
operations. AcQrding to Cheng-Hopkins, many UNHCR offices
have also sought proactive partnerships with national and
development actors to help rehabilitate areas where refugees
and/or IDPs have returned.


3. (U) Cheng-Hopkins discussed UNHCR's work in Liberia,
where she maintained that steady progress is being made in
maximizQ the opportunities for joint programming and
achieving synergy in the delivery of projects and services.
UNHCR is now focusing on protection, the rule of law and

peace education and, in collaboration with other agencies, is
phasing out of activities in the health and education
sectors. She also noted that other humanitarian operations,
such as in Burundi and Afghanistan, have been placing their
focus on mainstreaming reintegration needs/activities within
development priorities. Outstanding challenges for UNHCR
reintegration activities include fragile security situations
that restrict operations and hampers much needed development
programs in areas of return; housing, land and property
problems that fall beyond UNHCR,s mandate; and difficulties
mobilizing resources from multi-donor trust funds,
international financial institutions and bilateral
development agencies. As part of the 2010-2011 UNHCR
planning process, a guidance note on planning reintegration
operations in relation to the new budget structure has been
drafted, and reintegration indicators for Focus, UNHCR's
results-based management software, have been reviewed.
Programming and guidance tools will also be improved and
mainstreamed into the Focus/Global Needs Assessment training
program. Finally, UNHCR will continue to promote new
approaches in all reintegration operations and to increase
its engagement with development actors, both on the ground
and at the global level, with the overall goal of sustainable
reintegration.


4. (U) Several member states, including the U.S., the
Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, and Japan noted that UNHCR does
indeed have a role in reintegration activities but advised
the organization against going beyond what it is mandated to
do. All emphasized the need for a coherent and coordinated
approach to return/reintegration activities and the need for
UNHCR to engage with national governments, development actors
(including the United Nations Development Program, or UNDP),
and bilateral development organizations much earlier in their
planning process. The UK noted that the UN Secretary General
(UNSYG) will be addressing reintegration of displaced
populations in May; Cheng-Hopkins noted that UNHCR was fully
involved in the discussion and development of the paper that
the UNSG will present at the May meeting. In response to the
USG's concerns regarding UNHCR's length of engagement, its
new budget structure, and the potential for UNHCR to become
involved in "protracted reintegration" activities,
Cheng-Hopkins emphasized that Pillar 1 of UNHCR's new budget
structure (the Refugee Pillar) will be funded from core
program funds and will cover support (care, maintenance,
etc.) for refugees as well as initial/early reintegration
activities for refugees, while Pillar 3
(Return/Reintegration) will focus on longer-term projects
that will not receive funds unless donors pro-actively select
them. This division between Pillar 1 and 3 will assist UNHCR
in obtaining longer-term transition funds and firewall any
diversion of resources from UNHCR's core refugee mandate.

--------------
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
--------------


5. (U) AHC-O Cheng-Hopkins also presented the update on
UNHCR's implementation of the global work plan for IDP
operations and progress on mainstreaming. Cheng-Hopkins
stated that the IDP Protection Cluster has been implemented
in 22 UNHCR field operations to date; UNHCR is leading or
co-leading the Protection Cluster in 15 of these. In
addition to staffing support, technical expertise is provided
on a standing basis and through support missions to address
protection-gap areas (e.g., older persons, disabilities or
protection in natural disaster situations). She noted that
over 100 field staff has received protection training and
protection cluster coordination training and that the IDP
Protection Handbook is being field-tested and used
increasingly in the Field to assess, plan and design
protection responses. In terms of the Camp Coordination/Camp
Management (CCCM) Cluster, it was been activated in nine IDP
operations, in both natural disaster and conflict situations.
In 2008, the cluster trained over 200 UNHCR and partner
staff in CCCM principles, and provided technical support to
IDP operations in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC),Somalia, Pakistan, South Africa and Uganda. In
addition, the cluster produced and introduced the use of
several key programmatic tools including the Camp Management
Toolkit. The Emergency Shelter Cluster (ESC),which has been
rolled out in five operations, organized 10 workshops and one
real-time training in Somalia, preparing 252 people for
emergency deployments as coordinators, technical specialists,
trainers and information managers. UNHCR also trained 192 of
its own and NGO partner-agency staff on supply and warehouse
management, as well as eight regional training sessions for
participants from 58 countries including Headquarters.
UNHCR's technical staff has also been playing a significant
role in the clusters that UNHCR does not lead to ensure that
assistance to various beneficiary groups is aligned and
mutually supportive and to help shape the clusters' policies,
tools and training.


6. (U) Cheng-Hopkins emphasized that UNHCR continues to
refine its involvement in IDP situations and has made notable
progress in fully mainstreaming IDP issues within its
structures, policies and programs. For instance, the
planning guidelines sent to UNHCR field offices and
Headquarters units for the 2010-2011 program contain clear
instructions from the High Commissioner to outline the needs
and actions within UNHCR's agreed responsibilities as cluster
lead, and/or the agreed responsibilities as an operational or
sector lead agency. In November 2008, the first Learning
Program on Internal Displacement for UNHCR senior managers
was launched. The four-day intensive curriculum brought
together 25 UNHCR managers working in major IDP operations;
this program will ultimately be made mandatory for all UNHCR
staff. The goal is to equip UNHCR staff with the tools
needed to effectively contribute to the inter-agency response
to internal displacement situations. In 2009, UNHCR will
also focus its attention on issues related to the protection
and assistance of IDPs living in urban areas, notably those
in protracted situations. UNHCR's Policy Development and
Evaluation Service (PDES) is already carrying out a study on
the subject, the results of which will inform the High
Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges in 2009
which will focus on displaced people in urban situations.
The issue of climate change and its impact on internal
displacement will also be a topic on which UNHCR will
continue to look at. A paper on UNHCR's position with regard
to natural disaster scenarios, "Climate change, natural
disasters and human displacement: A UNHCR perspective (23
October 2008)" is available at: www.unhcr.org/climate.


7. (U) The Ethiopian Delegation, speaking on behalf of the
Africa Group, noted that although protection of IDPs is a
UNHCR lead under the Cluster Approach, UNHCR's work should
not be duplicative of what other organizations are already
undertaking in this regard, and reminded UNHCR that issues of
climate change and urban IDPs should be led by someone other
than UNHCR. Ethiopia also strongly emphasized that given
that coordination with national and regional governments is
key to any successful operation dealing with people who are
displaced internally. The UK, Sweden, Canada, and the
Netherlands welcomed UNHCR's efforts on taking more of a lead
on IDPs, especially in mainstreaming IDP activities and
training into its programs. Japan and the U.S. emphasized
the need for UNHCR to coordinate closely with the other
Cluster leads and co-leads, using agencies' comparative
advantage whenever possible. Both noted that UNHCR staff and
resources are already over-stretched in many cases, focusing
on increasing outflows of refugees and movements of IDPs in
may areas of the world. The U.S. questioned whether UNHCR
should engage in situations of natural disasters. Arnauld
Akodjenou, UNHCR's Director of the Division of Operational
Services, responded that UNHCR would only work in situations
of natural disaster if: 1) there is a need or request by the
UN Country Team, and 2) in areas where refugees or returned
refugees are affected. (Note: Given this explanation,
coupled with UNHCR,s enhanced work with IDPs, UNHCR could
justify a role in almost any situation of natural disaster;
the U.S. will need to track this issue closely.
Interestingly, Switzerland requested that UNHCR include
discussion of the organization's exit strategy in IDP
operations. End Note.)

--------------
Protracted Refugee Situations
--------------


8. (U) George Okoth-Obbo, UNHCR's Director of International
Protection Service, presented UNHCR's update on the High
Commissioner's 2008 Dialogue on protracted refugee
situations. The High Commissioner's Dialogue took place in
Geneva, December 10-11, 2008 and although it is not a formal
policy or decision-making body, the High Commissioner
considers its deliberations important in helping UNHCR shape
its future policies, strategies and activities for tackling
the challenges under discussion. The 2008 Dialogue was
attended by representatives of 87 States, eight bodies from
the United Nations system, three intergovernmental
organizations, 27 NGOs and 10 other organizations, as well as
academics and experts attending in their personal capacity.
There are more than 30 protracted refugee situations (PRS)
worldwide. While UNHCR is making efforts to address all of
these situations, five in particular ) Afghan refugees in
the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, Burundian refugees
in the United Republic of Tanzania, Eritrean refugees in
Sudan, Croatian and Bosnian refugees in Serbia, and Rohingya
in Bangladesh ) had been selected under the High
Commissioner's Special Initiative on Protracted Refugee
Situations (PRS) to exemplify the nature and complexity of
the problem and to energize efforts to drive forward either
durable solutions or improvements in the life of the refugees
concerned as they remain in asylum. Discussion centered on
finding traditional solutions (voluntary repatriation, local
integration and resettlement) for refugees in PRS, the role
of the international community (political/diplomatic
engagement and financial support),the role and "incumbent
responsibilities" of the countries of origin, as well as the
role of refugees themselves.


9. (U) Drawing on the results and momentum generated by the
Dialogue, UNHCR has accelerated its plans with respect to the
five protracted situations under the High Commissioner's
Special Initiative. Efforts are under way to elaborate
comprehensive plans, in close coordination with host
countries, countries of origin, NGOs, international
organizations and other stakeholders. UNHCR will work to
bring the issue of protracted refugee situations onto the
agenda of inter-agency and other relevant fora, such as the
UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the Peacebuilding
Commission, Delivering as One, the OECD's Development
Assistance Committee, international financial institutions
and the African Union, to enhance collaboration with multiple
actors in resolving protracted situations.


10. (U) All delegations who spoke noted their appreciation
for the High Commisioner's initiative on establishing a
yearly thematic dialogue. The delegations of Bangladesh,
Thailand, Iran, and Pakistan emphasized that responses to the
issue of PRS should focus on voluntary repatriation and
resettlement, given that in their view, local integration is
almost impossible to undertake because many refugee-hosting
countries cannot support additional increases in their
population. The U.S. noted that it looked forward to the
paper on follow-up to the discussion, which should include
priorities and recommendations on next steps, and highlighted
the need for greater collaboration among UN agencies to
address and resolve PRS. Okoth-Obo stressed the need for a
holistic approach in dealing with PRS, including using all
three durable, depending on the situation of a population.
He also agreed that coordination is key and said that UNHCR
is currently working with development partners in several PRS
(the ILO in Bangladesh, UNDP in Sudan, JICA in Dadaab).
UNHCR plans to put together a strategy on how to work with
other partners in PRS. The next dialogue will focus on urban
populations.


STORELLA