New and renewed pledges sustain Philippines’ strong commitment to addressing forced displacement, statelessness
The Philippines has once again demonstrated its strong commitment to enhancing the rights, welfare, and inclusion of the forcibly displaced, stateless, and those at risk of statelessness and ultimately, to leaving no one behind, as it submitted more than 24 new pledges during the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva, Switzerland.
For the 24 pledges that came from the Philippine Government, Undersecretary Raul Vasquez of the Department of Justice and head of the country’s delegation to the 2023 GRF shared that the intention was to “seamlessly continue our work by building on existing foundations.”
Department of Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, head of the Philippine delegation for the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, announces the 24 pledges from the Philippines. © Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva
The pledges are aimed at enhancing the Philippines' ongoing efforts for the forcibly displaced, stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness. © Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva
“We heard the call to be more ambitious and we aimed to do just that. On top of our pledges, we also announced a 50% increase in our voluntary contribution to the UNHCR, whose work also supports the Global Compact on Refugees,” he said.
Undersecretary Vasquez also underscored that the new pledges from the Philippines focused on protection, solutions and inclusion, particularly in enhancing the access of the forcibly displaced, stateless and those at risk of statelessness to social protection, greater economic inclusion, refining policies and laws, and improving data in addition to the country’s ongoing efforts to end statelessness and providing access to higher education to Rohingya youth through the Complementary Pathways Programme.
“A true test for the global community is when the excitement of this Forum wanes, and the difficult task of pledge implementation starts. As each pledge and each crisis situation increasingly demand more from us, we should not forget the most fundamental of our considerations: the rights, inclusion, safety, and welfare of all displaced persons,” Undersecretary Vasquez emphasized.
In addition to the submission of pledges, members of the Philippine Government delegation also served as panelists in several high-level events throughout the 2023 GRF, including the sessions on Mobility as a Solution: Expanding Third Country Pathways through Tertiary Education, Access to Protection: Asylum Systems, Legal Assistance, and Human Rights, and From pledges to results: Realizing a world free from statelessness through collaborative action, among others.
Read the full statement of the Philippines here.
Additional pledges were also submitted by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), and the De La Salle Brothers Inc.
“CBCS fully supports activities that will produce durable solutions for the lives of displaced communities, particularly in the passage of the IDP Bill in the BARMM and national levels. We will continue to pursue both short-term and strategic activities,” shared CBCS Chairperson Guiamel Alim following the submission of their pledges.
UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo welcomed the new pledges from the Philippines and reiterated UNHCR’s commitment to helping the country with its whole-of-society approach to addressing forced displacement and statelessness.
“UNHCR remains committed to assisting the Philippines, which continues to be a strong ally in the efforts to address global displacement, in maintaining its favorable protection environment for people forced to flee, the stateless, and those at risk of statelessness. These new pledges are a testament to the Philippines’ dedication to providing hope away from home, which is very important as the world continues to face increasing insecurities and challenges,” said Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
Held every four years, the Global Refugee Forum brought together governments, international financial organizations, business leaders, humanitarian and development actors, refugees and civil society representatives in support of the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees, a framework adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018 for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing among states.
This year, the forum mustered over $2.2bn in financial commitments and was attended by over 4,200 participants from 168 countries, including five heads of state or government, ministers, heads of international organizations (including United Nations entities and specialized agencies), refugee-led organizations, representatives of civil society, and CEOs of companies and foundations, among others. Some 10,000 more joined online.
Find out more about the pledges made during the 2023 GRF here.
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ABOUT UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
In the Philippines, UNHCR has maintained a presence for over 40 years, working on three pillars: providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families.
For more information, please contact:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
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