Seven Things For UNHCR to Focus on Following the Global Refugee Forum

Increasingly protracted conflicts and worsening global challenges like #climatechange are driving displacement and human suffering to unprecedented levels. The human consequences of these factors are immense and growing. And yet, the multilateral system’s capacity to respond is being constrained by the growing complexity of the operating environment, deteriorating levels of trust, funding constraints and operational inefficiencies.?

In this difficult geopolitical environment, and as #displacement continues to rise, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency concentrates on delivering protection, assistance and solutions for refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and stateless people – in more than 130 countries around the world.??

With new waves of displacement continuing to outpace available solutions, in December, UNHCR, together with Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, Uganda and Switzerland, convened heads of state, delegations, NGOs, private sector, and refugees at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva. Boasting five heads of state and government, 86 participants at the ministerial level and above, and over 300 refugee delegates, the Forum reached an audience of over 4 200 with participants from over 168 countries and generated an estimated USD 2.2 billion in new financial commitments.??

For UNHCR, the question now is how to best to support delivery of these commitments – is UNHCR’s business model fit for purpose for the crises of today and tomorrow? MOPAN – a member state network that has conducted 100+ assessments of nearly 40 different multilateral organisations in the past 20 years — commissioned an assessment of UNHCR to help answer that question.? MOPAN published this UNHCR assessment after a high-level launch event, Friday, in Geneva, where the High Commissioner discussed the findings with the Permanent Representatives of the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation & Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as the Head of the MOPAN Secretariat, Suzanne Ahialegbedzi Steensen .??

The MOPAN assessment lauded UNHCR for its core strengths and improvements since its last assessment in 2018 and identified key areas of attention for the organisation to be best positioned continue delivering protection, assistance and solutions for refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced and stateless people.?

The assessment recognised a major root and branch reform of UNHCR since MOPAN last assessed the organisation, leading to impressive strides in the organisation’s cohesion and agility, but also found that the organisation still has more work to do win over donors and partners. Some insights — drawing from the MOPAN assessment — on seven major issues facing UNHCR as it works to deliver outcomes from December’s Global Refugee Forum:?

1. Shifting the mindset: Delivering the right cultural changes and incentives to shift towards a multi-year mindset and ways of working.?
2. Planning: Further strengthening the use of evidence in planning and programming, reinforcing the foundations laid by its new COMPASS reporting and results-based management and budgeting framework.?
3. Clarifying UNHCR’s role: Further clarifying and delivering on UNHCR’s role in climate emergencies and disasters and delivering on climate and environmental goals more systematically.?
4. Continuing reforms: Continuing to consolidate the reform programme and clarifying and socialising the role of the regional bureau.?
5. Longer-term solutions:? Rethinking responses from a longer-term perspective, so that to the extent possible refugee emergencies are approached from day one in a manner that reduces the risk of UNHCR becoming “stuck” as the long-term principal service provider in protracted refugee situations.?
6. Reassuring partners: Continuing reforms towards becoming a less demanding and more reasonable partner in funded relationships.?
7. Improving collaboration: Improving consultation with the Executive Committee and improving “no surprises” reporting to funders.?

For further MOPAN findings on UNHCR, visit: bit.ly/MOPAN_UNHCR?

#MOPANonUNHCR #displacement #globalgoals #refugees?