High Commissioner's closing statement to the seventy-fifth plenary session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme

Madam Chair,

Distinguished delegates,

Colleagues and friends,

As we conclude another session of the Executive Committee, let me thank all of you for your engagement, your support, and for the frank exchanges during the week. I, along with the senior UNHCR team, listened closely to every single one of your statements. And you heard me, I replied to all 152 statements during the general debate. I thank all those who have made efforts to keep the focus of our discussion firmly on issues of our immediate, humanitarian concern.

Our work is too pressing, in the grim state of our world, to allow political disagreements to create divisions on issues around which we are united. Be assured that UNHCR is ready to continue engaging, constructively and in good faith, as we have always done, with Morocco and any other delegation, to resolve any issue of substantive disagreement related to our mandate.

Madam Chair,

I am particularly pleased to announce that the Global Alliance to End Statelessness grew by 12 members this week. Congratulations! Thanks to all of you who announced that you were joining, Some announced they were planning to join and of course we continue to encourage everybody to join. Our collective efforts to eradicate statelessness are yet another testament to the power of multilateralism, and to what is possible when we work together.

I was impressed by the breadth of the commitments we heard, expressed in ways big and small, and in a striking variety of contexts, including in countries that are grappling with security challenges, with the effects of climate change and with displacement, yet that continue to make efforts to facilitate access to civil and birth registration. It proves that all appreciate that statelessness not only deprives people of fundamental rights — but also, by creating grave exclusion, it constitutes a significant challenge in social and economic terms, and therefore it is in the interest of states to reduce and eliminate it.

You can count on UNHCR to continue supporting your efforts, as always. Equally important will be the opportunities for all countries to support each other, to learn from each other – as the Philippines and Japan have done, for example. That is the spirit of collaboration and participation championed by the Global Alliance.

Many of you by the way mentioned the effectiveness of coordinated action at regional level in other contexts as well, including through regional organizations such as ECOWAS and IGAD, or initiatives like MIRPS, and many others – in particular in relation to addressing the complex, transnational, mixed flows of refugees and migrants. As both the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection and I have outlined, an effective response to mixed movements  can only be achieved by looking at entire displacement routes, rather than only through the prism of border controls. This does not mean that particular national contexts can simply be disregarded. We understand that secure borders are a key element of state sovereignty.  But to be effective, border controls must be balanced by strategic interventions along the routes, as well as by the development of adequate asylum policies and capacities. UNHCR stands ready to support you in this difficult balancing act as we agreed to do, for example, with South Africa, which grapples with mixed movements of refugees and migrants.

Madam Chair,

Allow me to spend a few more moments on the sustainability of what we do — in other words, of the support provided to refugees, displaced people, host countries and communities until durable solutions are found. I do this because it was a subject raised by almost all of you in response to my opening remarks.

I appreciate the frankness with which many of you put forward questions and concerns regarding this important subject, as it allows us — now and going forward — to better clarify our thinking, and take more appropriate and effective action. It was also encouraging to hear the very broad support for measures that strengthen the self reliance of refugees and displaced people, particularly where displacement is protracted, with benefits accrued also to host communities — this is really the main purpose of the shifts we want to make. In the interest of all.

There have been so many very positive examples given, from every region, of inclusive policies and practices. Where displaced people have access to national systems – to clinics, schools, or the labour market – in recognition of their ability to contribute to the communities where they are hosted. Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zambia, for example – countries that have generously hosted many refugees for many years – all gave compelling statements outlining their commitment to inclusion. So did countries in Latin America, and I look forward to being in Chile in December, for the Cartagena+40 ministerial event, as the region charts the ambitious road ahead for even greater solidarity.

But all these countries must be supported in sustaining that commitment, otherwise these ‘regions of inclusion’ could fracture under the load of continued waves of displacement.

Because – and I want to make this very clear – the sustainable aid model which we aim to achieve, based on inclusion and self-reliance, absolutely cannot work without continued financial support from donors. Host countries repeatedly emphasized that point this week. Reducing humanitarian funding is not the objective of the sustainable response model. Responsibility toward refugees is and will remain shared. That principle is core to theGlobal Compact on Refugees.

How we better, collectively exercise that responsibility is the issue at stake, especially in an overall context that I have outlined – more conflicts, less peace, fewer durable solutions, and fluctuating humanitarian funding.

What is sure is that reaching a more sustainable equilibrium will require greater partnership between UNHCR and development actors – a partnership in which we have invested heavily in the last decade. We must further improve ways in which we carry out humanitarian aid, to avoid creating dependencies and other obstacles to development. Development organizations must take a leaf from humanitarians, and learn how to mobilize resources faster, especially in crises. It will also require stronger partnerships between host countries and humanitarian and development actors. UNHCR will continue to play a catalytic role to mobilize development funding, including in particular from international financial institutions: I was encouraged once more by the strong commitment of the World Bank, for example, as we heard yesterday. We will also continue provide our advice, including on how to roll out policies that can help attract additional resources from development and private sector actors. There have been some questions on the financing component of sustainable refugee aid – no more sustainable programming – also given the heavy debt burden already borne by many large refugee-hosting countries. Questions which are complicated but must  be addressed as consultations continue.

Needless to say, none of this detracts from, nor changes UNHCR’s mandate. UNHCR is and will remain a humanitarian agency, focused on protection and solutions. We heard some concerns voiced on that issue, so it is important to clarify that point.

To quote the excellent statement of the NGOs in the general debate, I quote ‘we cannot forget the basics.’ Rest assured that, whenever you are confronted with crises of forced displacement; whenever you need support and advice to strengthen your asylum capacities or your legal frameworks; or whenever you celebrate the return of your people after they have been in exile, UNHCR will be by your side.

Madam Chair,

Forgive me for exhausting that metaphor, but we must keep going upstream still, to the sources of displacement. Its root causes.

Even as we spoke, the conflicts I mentioned in my opening remarks have continued to rage — thousands more have fled air strikes in Lebanon, with many continuing to cross the border into Syria. We need support in order to help those camping in the schools and streets of Beirut, or taking shelter with already impoverished families in Damascus as I saw myself last week. I look forward to the conference being organized by the French government in Paris next week to mobilize resources for this latest humanitarian crisis. But above all, I wish to join all those who have called for ceasefires, followed by meaningful negotiations to make them durable — in Lebanon as in Gaza.

I do not need to tell you that the opposite — a continuing escalation of war in the Middle East — can only lead us all to a major catastrophe.

But war must never be normalized. Nowhere. Not in Myanmar, which is further away from stability than it has been in decades, impacting — as we heard from many of you — the entire region. Not in the Sahel, where displacement is spiraling up and now threatening the coastal states of West Africa — an issue which requires urgent attention. Not in Sudan, where war rages, amidst horrifying abuses that continue to drive displacement. We cannot become de-sensitized to such abuses, there and elsewhere, nor be resigned to them – especially when faced with prolonged and multi-faceted crises with no evident solutions, such as the one that has been devastating the Democratic Republic of Congo for years. How long must the Congolese people wait for peace?

I want to allay the fears of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and of all those countries that feel unseen. That are constantly eclipsed by newer and bigger crises. We will not abandon you. UNHCR will not abandon Yemen. We will not abandon Afghanistan, and countries receiving Afghan refugees. You can count on our support.

As already mentioned, we will also work with the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on solutions for internal displacement — our important role in the “cluster system” established in many countries to deal with the humanitarian needs of IDPs, and our experience in solutions, will allow us to play a significant role in ensuring that the UN can provide more tangible and effective support to resolving internal displacement. More on this, as I mentioned, in the next few weeks. We will also continue investing in prevention activities – something we haven’t spoken about much, but that is a reality in many of our operations, for example in Honduras, where we work to reinforce the resilience of communities, to prevent their displacement. Just as we do to mitigate the impact of climate change – we heard many strong statements about its effects on fragility and displacement, including from Bangladesh, and from many countries in the Central Sahel and West Africa. We will carry your messages with us to COP29 next month.

I want to also highlight the importance of resettlement and other complementary pathways that many of you raised – durable solutions are the focus of this year’s conclusion on international protection. And I salute your adoption. Resettlement is first and foremost a critical, life-saving tool, one that allows the most vulnerable refugees to find the protection they need when it is not readily available in certain countries of asylum. But resettlement is also a very important expression of solidarity, of responsibility-sharing, one that must be maintained, and even increased. Because  No number of lives changed through resettlement is too small.

Thanks also to all those who reminded us that we must sustain and upscale the momentum of the Global Refugee Forum  by implementing the many pledges made. As Uganda rightly pointed out, the Forum’s  success will be measured against the implemented pledges. Because each one brings us closer to the vision of solidarity, inclusion, and sustainability inherent in the Global Compact on Refugees.

Madam Chair,

Let me thank once again all our donors  for putting their trust in us. Now that we have a budget. A budget vital especially in this critical situation of multiple emergencies. Yes we do need more funding, and more flexible funding so we can remain agile and responsive to the needs of all forcibly displaced and stateless people equally, without distinction — you heard our staff representative describe in vivid terms how painful it has been to reduce staff at a time when we need to be stronger. We are therefore hugely grateful for your support, which every day allows UNHCR teams everywhere to carry out life-saving work. We do share the hope expressed by some delegations that consensus will be re-established in your decision making in support of UNHCR in the future, as has been an honorable tradition for decades.

Finally, Madam Chair, dear Katharina, thank you. I speak on behalf of all of us at UNHCR and maybe more  when I say that your dedication, your expertise and your collegiality as Chair of the Executive Committee have been second to none. And by the way, while also serving as Chair of the IOM’s Council Bureau, in an ideal link between two organizations that must — and will — continue to strengthen their partnership, to support you all more effectively. Thank you Katharina for fostering a spirit of openness and engagement in this body, and also for your wise advice and friendship. And thank you to the rest of your bureau also for doing fantastic work under all types of circumstances.

My congratulations to Ambassador Vazquez Bermudez on his election as Chair. I look forward to working closely with you and with the rest of the bureau, including Ambassador Ahmad from Pakistan as First Vice Chair, Ambassador Daka of Ethiopia as Second Vice Chair, as well as new Rapporteur Advani of the United Kingdom.

Let me leave you with the words of Jin Davod, a Nansen regional winner whom we honored on Monday, who said, I quote: “nobody chooses to be a refugee, but you can choose whether to help refugees”.

We must indeed continue to choose not only to help refugees, but also to listen to them, and to empower them, so they can cease to be refugees.

Thank you for making this choice with us.

Thank you.