Joint Nordic Statement delivered by Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström on behalf of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden at UNHCR interactive dialogue with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, New York, 1 November, 2022
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries.
The Nordic countries have a deep and long-standing partnership with the UNHCR and strongly support its mandate to offer protection and seek durable solutions for those forced to flee their homes.
As the annual report outlines, the global humanitarian situation remains critical. This year, we have passed a sad milestone with more than 100 million people forcibly displaced globally. This represents an increase by more than 50 % since 2015. These numbers provide all of us with a strong cause for reflection. We can and must do more to reverse this trend. In this context, we note that the intensification of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine began in February, after the reporting period. We already see that this senseless war has aggravated the global situation further, through its direct impact on the people of Ukraine and indirect consequences in other parts of the world, adding to the compounded effects of climate change, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and other protracted conflicts.
We do note that many positive steps have been taken by the UNHCR and by states. For example, the UNHCR has surpassed its targets for registrations, shelter and health and reached or nearly reached most other targets. We note with concern, however, that the targets for Food Security and Nutrition, WASH, education and resettlement were not reached. This undoubtedly reflects the fact that UNHCR remains underfunded. As major donors providing flexible and multi-year funding in 2022, we call on all member states to step up their support to UNHCR. At the same time, we commend UNHCR for the progress on mobilizing private sector partnerships and funding, and we encourage UNHCR to continue expanding these efforts.
I would like to highlight a few thematic issues of particular interest to the Nordic countries.
First, sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies remains an issue of great concern. We thank UNHCR for its robust response, including through new policies and programmes, to prevent, mitigate and respond to this problem, and are very supportive of UNHCR’s survivor-centered approach.
Second, we welcome UNHCR’s important work to support forcibly displaced persons who need protection due to their sexual orientation and gender identity, including the issuance of updated guidance and a new training package.
Third, we applaud UNHCR’s increased attention to the needs of persons in vulnerable situations – as the global report notes, as many as 15% of the world’s forcibly displaced are believed to have a disability, and it is crucial to provide this group with proper visibility. We welcome the continued focus of UNHCR on training and guidelines and the increased involvement of people with disabilities in planning UNHCR operations.
Finally, over half of all persons of concern to UNHCR are internally displaced persons We acknowledge UNHCR’s work to protect and provide assistance to IDPs and also to address this issue at national level by supporting the development of national frameworks on internal displacement. We welcome in this context the adoption of the Action Agenda on IDPs and the appointment of Robert Piper as the Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement and hope that his work will lead to better and more dignified solutions for IDPs and to relieve some of the pressure that the humanitarian system is under.
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The UNHCR Omnibus resolution supports the humanitarian and non-political mandate of UNHCR. This year it has been Sweden’s privilege to facilitate the informal consultations on this resolution. We wish to thank all Member States who have actively participated in the process.
We also encourage all Missions to register as co-sponsors for the resolution. We call for adoption by consensus, so we can send a strong message of support to UNHCR and its important mandate. The humanitarian needs have never been greater – this is the moment when we need less division and more unity and solidarity. This resolution is first and foremost for refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
We have one question for the High Commissioner: in times of ever-increasing needs and underfunding, what are the main prioritization criteria for UNHCR?
Thank you.