World Refugee Council Recommends New Refugee Response System

Addis Ababa  January 18/2019 In its effort to reform the global refugee system, the World Refugee Council has recommended new ways to support refugees and hosting countries.

The Council’s report and recommendations that will be available as of January 24, 2019 offers new mechanisms to resource fund for refugees and hosting nations.

Briefing journalists, Chairperson of the World Refugee Council, Llyod Axworthy said the Council’s report provides ways to support refugees and hosting countries through a refugee response system that is fair, effective and efficient.

He stated that members of the Council met on Thursday with representatives of the African Union and the UN Refugee Agency as well as ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Addis Ababa to present some of the recommendations from the Council’s forthcoming report.

The number of refugees around the world continues to grow while support and resources for refugees and host nations trim down, he said and adding that transformative change is needed to reform the global refugee system.

“We know that Africa is at the epicenter of efforts to resolve barriers and promote protection for millions of refugees in the region,” he said.

He noted that the recommendations will provide concrete solutions for consideration in the upcoming AU summit, whose theme for 2019 is “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”.

The gaps in funding to carry out both the humanitarian and development tasks that are focal points in refugee operations must also be strengthened and new sources funding mobilized, he added.

Council member, Devota Nuwe, said on her part the report and the recommendation call for the international community to share the responsibility for people who have been forcibly displaced as well as for the countries that are hosting them, and seeks new mechanisms to finance these endeavors.

She added that the youth and women to be part of the solution in seeking new mechanisms in the way of a call to action and transforming the global refugee system.

The World Refugee Council was formed in May 2017, under the leadership of former Canadian Foreign Minister Axworthy Lloyd and the support of the Government of Canada.