UNHCR/NGO Consultations

As previously reported in this post, the annual consultations between UNHCR and NGOs are taking place in Geneva from 27 to 29 September. Yesterday's sessions included welcome speeches from the heads of the NGO Liaison Unit and of External Relations at UNHCR and the director of ICVA. In addition, presentations were made by all of UNHCR's regional bureaux.

Today, the following thematic roundtables are being held (where available, links to a selection of related background documents are also provided):

Roundtable: "Implementation of the new cluster approach in situations of internal displacement"
- Document on UNHCR's expanded role in internal displacement situations

Roundtable: "Combating the use of detention as a deterrent: A case study from the Mediterranean"
- See country reports for Malta, Spain and Italy from the International Detention Coalition.

Roundtable: "Challenges of Return: Rights and sustainable solutions"
- Description of AUSTCARE research project "A Place to Call Home: Protection and Voluntary Repatriation of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Protracted Situations

Roundtable: "Mainstreaming education within humanitarian response"
- Save the Children campaign, "Rewrite the future: education and hope for millions of children affected by armed conflict
- INEE Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction

Roundtable: "Prevention and reduction of statelessness and protection of stateless persons"
- UNHCR web pages on "who is stateless"

Roundtable: "Integration: The forgotten 'solution'"
- The forgotten solution: local integration for refugees in developing countries, New Issues in Refugee Research Working Paper no. 45
- Local integration as a durable solution: refugees, host populations and education in Uganda, New Issues in Refugee Research Working Paper no. 93

Roundtable: "'MSRP' - UNHCR's global implementation of the PeopleSoft software package"

Roundtable: "Collaboration in addressing gender issues"
- Notes from OXFAM
- IASC Gender Handbook (draft for consultation)

Roundtable: "What are the strategies for countries supportive of resettlement?"
- UNHCR's resettlement web pages

Roundtable: "Children's protection and humanitarian reform"
- UNHCR's web pages on children

Roundtable: "They don't talk about rape!! Improving protection for refugee women and girls"
- Women at Risk Assessment Tool and Response Mechanism, prepared by the Centre for Refugee Research and ANCORW
- UNHCR's Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Guidelines for Prevention and Response
- The Case for a UNHCR Conclusion on “Refugee Women at Risk”, prepared by the Centre for Refugee Research
- Standing Committee Discussion Paper on a Possible Executive Committee Conclusion on Displaced Women and Girls at Risk

A detailed agenda for the consultations is available, along with a schedule for side meetings.

Posted in Publications and Events.