08 July 2011

Resettlement Resources

The Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR) were just held in Geneva from July 4-6. The meeting brings together representatives of governments, IGOs, and NGOs to address issues relating to resettlement. This year, the Refugee Council USA served as the NGO focal point; the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) will serve next year. The Refugee Council co-chaired the meeting with UNHCR and the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

On the agenda:
- the "widening gap between global resettlement needs and available places"
- "problems with the management of the resettlement process"
- "the strategic use of resettlement to provide solutions for refugees otherwise not eligible for resettlement"
- "the promotion of measures to improve the reception and integration of refugees once they reach their new destination"


Resettlement was also a topic for discussion at the recent UNHCR-NGO Consultations; read the background paper for the session on "Overcoming barriers: Strategies for the robust and effective use of resettlement as a protection tool."

And finally, here are two recently launched resources:

UNHCR-NGO Toolkit for Practical Cooperation on Resettlement (UNHCR et al., June 2011) [access]
- See also related press release. The toolkit "provides practical guidance for the UN refugee agency and NGOs to cooperate in areas such as operational activities; community outreach; information sharing, planning and advocacy; and reception and integration."

UNHCR Resettlement Handbook (UNHCR, revised edition July 2011) [access]
- Serves as the principal reference text for UNHCR's resettlement work.


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