UNHCR Executive Committee Outcomes:

There were a number of important developments at UNHCR’s October 2005 Executive Committee (ExCom) Meeting in Geneva. These include:

§         The new Collaborative Approach to IDPs - the Inter-Agency Standing Committee plan endorsed by the UN World Summit in 2005 to overhaul the current method of dealing with IDPs and allocate the responsibility for providing various clusters of IDPs needs to different UN agencies, received strong support from the new High Commissioner and ExCom member states. Under UNHCR’s newly assigned role as cluster lead for IDP protection, shelter and camp management, UNHCR could conceivably increase the number of IDPs it has under its responsibility from 5 million to 25 million. As such, states agreed to UNHCR’s expanded IDP role, but only if sufficient extra resources are provided and it does not detract from its core mandate to protect refugees. UNHCR is set to expand its current role by engaging in 3 IDP pilot programs, one in Nepal, one in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the third in a country to be determined.

§         Increased emphasis on International Protection - The High Commissioner committed to strengthen UNHCR’s protection functions and member states of UNHCR’s Executive Committee gave strong support to the plan to create a new position within headquarters for an Assistant High Commissioner for International Protection, which will elevate protection issues within UNHCR’s governance structure. Australia’s Erika Feller, was appointed to the position in January 2006. At a time when the international system of protection is under increasing threat, this comes as a welcome initiative. 

§         UNHCR’s new Resettlement Service – ExCom has given its support to the Australian-led push to create a dedicated Resettlement Service within UNHCR. The creation of the new Service, which is set to take place by January 2006, will not only see resettlement elevated within UNHCR’s governance structure, but the Service will no doubt augment UNHCR’s capacity to identify refugees in need of resettlement and deal with resettlement issues in line with the emphasis given with the Agenda for Protection on resettlement as both a durable solution and a strategic tool of international protection. However, it is critical that Australia continue to mobiles the support of ExCom member states and senior UNHCR staff to ensure that the Resettlement Service can meet these expectations.

§         The Multilateral Framework of Understanding on Resettlement – In June 2004, the Core Group of UNHCR’s Executive Committee reached consensus on how Convention Plus can operate in practice and finalised the Multilateral Framework of Understanding on Resettlement, which aims to act as a guide to the strategic use of resettlement in the context of other durable solutions and ways to increase resettlement. It also deals with the role of resettlement in the context of comprehensive plans of action to address protracted refugee situations. Although it has been, by far, the most productive Convention Plus strand, it is important that Australia and other resettlement countries continue to push for the broader role of resettlement as envisioned by the Framework.

§         NGO Input – For the first time in 2005, NGOs were given draft ExCom Conclusions[1] and had direct input into the drafting process. In 2006, ExCom member states will review the role and participation of NGOs in ExCom. The NCCA hopes that the Australian delegation will continue to support the participation of NGOs in this forum.

§         Conclusion on Complementary Protection – Although the final conclusion was significantly weakened during the multilateral drafting process, it nonetheless encourages states to develop an administrative procedure, parallel to the RSD procedure, to determine complementary protection claims; a system that has been proposed by the NCCA, RCOA and Amnesty in Australia as part of the Complementary Protection Model (see Annex number 1.).

§         Conclusion on Local Integration – ExCom member states gave crucial recognition to local integration as a durable solution with the adoption by consensus of the Conclusion on Local Integration. Coupled with UNHCR’s new handbook on Self Reliance, the Conclusion will hopefully help revive the notion of local integration being a viable durable solution. Attention was also given to the need to factor refugees into National Development Plans, underscoring the increased recognition that refugees are a potential economic asset rather than just a burden and that local integration does not just mean permanency, but rather assisting refugees to become self-reliant, which in turn boosts chances for successful repatriation and resettlement.

§         Mainstreaming Convention Plus initiatives – At the last ExCom meeting, the new High Commissioner stated his intention to mainstream these Convention Plus initiatives. However, little substance was provided as to what this actually means in practice. As such, there has been much speculation over whether this means downgrading the initiatives or continuing to give them precedence.

§         Warehousing – ExCom member states are increasingly recognising that it is no longer possible to accept the status quo regarding protracted refugee situations and that further efforts to find durable solutions and protect refugee rights while they await a durable solution are essential.

§         Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) – GCIM’s final report before winding up found serious gaps in the international communities response to migration. Although the international community must now decide how to proceed, there was surprisingly little discussion of the report and its implications.

§         Creation of a Peace-building Commission – There was a great amount of both informal and formal talks at ExCom about how the new Peace-building Commission might work, including its funding, structure and terms of reference. Although no specific recommendations emerged, states strongly encouraged UNHCR to form strong relations with the new Commission.

§         Creation of a UN Human Rights Council – There was much discussion also of the plan to create a Human Rights Council by 2006 to replace the much criticized UN Human Rights Commission (UNCHR) as it could have a profound impact in stemming the outflow of refugees and creating better conditions for those wishing to return to their countries of origin. Several ExCom member states, in their speeches, encouraged UNHCR to continue to strengthen its relations with the Commission and the Council, when it is formed.  So far, the only agreements have been that it should be a standing body (unlike the UNCHR, which only meet for six weeks annually) and that the current staff of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should continue on with the new Council. Given negotiations are now underway to determine the Council’s structure and role, it is important to recognise that UNCHR has played an important role in highlighting and preventing human rights abuses. For example, the Western European and Others Group has played an important role in the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in establishing the human rights and mass exoduses agenda item. This has played an important role in ensuring that the human rights abuses that cause mass exoduses are on the agenda of the UNCHR. The NCCA recommends that the Australian Government encourage other WEOG states to ensure that this item remains on the UNCHR’s agenda.