Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 47
Advocate for global strategy supporting host countries and integrating refugees into national systems.
Recommendation
The UK Government should use the Forum to discuss with the international community what lessons have been learned from current protracted crises. It should advocate for a global strategy that can be extended over the short-, medium- and long- term, to provide predicable support for refugee host countries and embeds a commitment to find diplomatic solutions to address the underlying causes of the crisis UK aid for refugee host countries 23 from the start. The strategy should set out how the international community will support host countries to move from the initial humanitarian response to a long-term development approach that incorporates access to education, healthcare, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, social security, and essential infrastructure. It should also include recommendations on how to incorporate refugees into national systems rather than setting up parallel mechanisms for delivering essential services. This must be supported by long-term financing mechanisms that host countries can rely on when traditional aid provision tails off.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating it will use the GRF to advocate for support for refugee host countries and address crisis causes, but will work within the existing Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) framework rather than creating a new global strategy. It commits to galvanise continued support for the GCR's implementation.
Paragraph Reference:
47
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
We partially agree the UK government should use the GRF to advocate for a global strategy to provide support for refugee host countries and address the underlying causes of crises. However, rather than advocating for a new global strategy we believe the GCR provides us with the best strategy to achieve predictable and equitable burden and responsibility-sharing given it proposes a clear programme of action to implement the GCR’s objectives and continues to have the backing of the international community (it was affirmed by 181 UN Member States at the UN General Assembly in December 2018). Five years on from the adoption of the GCR we still believe the vision and underpinning thinking in its programme of action hold even if progress on its implementation has not met the expectations of some partners, particularly major refugee host countries. We believe that we can achieve the changes the international community want to see through refining and developing the GCR’s programme of action further rather than attempting to renegotiate a new strategy. Therefore, we will work with partners across the international community both in advance and at the GRF to galvanise continued support for the GCR’s implementation. There have already been positive strides towards long-term development-based approaches to displacement and the GCR has provided a valuable strategy for facilitating the shift from humanitarian to development-led displacement responses.