We need durable solutions for refugees

Towards the end of last year, the world’s largest refugee gathering, the Global Refugee Forum (GRF), convened to continue to chat about the problems faced by forcibly displaced people and the unresolved global crises. 

The GRF attracted stakeholders from around the globe, governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, refugee communities and friends of humanity. They all made the long journey to Geneva, Switzerland, for the meeting. 

During this event, stakeholders pledged to improve the lives of the world’s refugees and the countries and communities that host the refugees. 

What was clear from this forum was the acknowledgement that, globally, we continue to face the challenge of conflicts, even when the global community is able to ensure that the rights of vulnerable people, let alone human rights, are protected. So, the refugee problem is still without a good solution.

Yet the world continues to avoid engaging its political leadership in a frank discussion between conflicting states. 

This engagement is the one thing that must happen, and the big men in high places must attempt to do this. Many of us think the men in high places are comfortable giving unsustainable solutions and leave it for the affected states to manage. 

As a result, we only see newer conflicts emerging yearly, adding to the older ones. It keeps getting worse due to some ‘irresponsible’ governments who do not like the idea of sharing responsibility for the betterment of refugees worldwide. 

They delegate what should be their most important responsibility to the poorer states that they proudly call “third safe country.” 

In there lies the unsatisfactory commitment to displacement and refugee problems. 

We should look for durable solutions. So, at the recently concluded forum, many stakeholders made pledges to continue providing for the needs of refugees. 

The promised to provide for their education. They pledged to continue to support resettlement of refugees and alternative pathways to third countries. 

They also said they will provide legal and consulting services to these vulnerable people and support refugees and their hosts through economic and social inclusion initiatives, among many other refugee needs. 

In the process, they pledged billions of ‘unsustainable dollars. So, the GRF came out with some encouraging conclusions. 

We believe they will honour those pledges because basic needs are the first line of support to a needy person. 

But this GRF did not tell you how it will derive sustainable solutions for refugees and displacement problems. 

We needed to hear a unanimous statement about protection against the involuntary and forced return of refugees. 

The GRF did not tell you about the pledge by governments to work towards addressing the root causes of displacement. 

We needed to hear the big men in high places offer to address the root causes of the displacement of people in our world. 

We will be happy to know that these people are now serious about walking the talk and working towards resolving the many conflicts in the world. 

They will develop policies and practices that prevent conflict and promote peace. 

They should have told us that they will implement relevant international laws to ensure continuous accountability for refugees. 

They needed to mention how they must enhance engagements in diplomatic efforts so that all communities that are in conflict can stop wars. 

These would be the best steps towards ensuring sustainable solutions to refugees and other displacement problems. If they do not come back to tell it to us, displacements will find them in their high places.

Simon J. Mone, Civil Engineer, [email protected]