Cross-border Displacement in the Context of Disasters: The Nansen Initiative

1. Cross-border Displacement in the Context of Disasters: The Nansen Initiative Prof. Walter Kaelin, Envoy of the Chairmanship of the Nansen Initiative Nairobi, 21 May 2014 The Nansen Initiative is primarily funded by the governments of Norway and Switzerland. The Initiative also benefits from generous funding from the European Commission.

5. Displacement 2008 – 2012: Sudden-onsetdisasters (IDMC)

7. BackgroundSituations and Challenges

8. Main gap: Cross-border displacement • Standards regarding admission/stay/return • Criteria to distinguish displacement from voluntary migration (particularly slow-onset) • Structures for cross-border cooperation • Unclear mandates of agencies • Weak cross-border coordination (humanitarian/ development partners) • Funding gaps, particularly for durable solutions

9. The Nansen Initiative • Background: UNFCCC Cancun Adaptation Framework, para. 14(f): “Measures to enhance understanding, coordination and cooperation with regard to climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation ….” • Launched October 2012. Steering Group: Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines (UNHCR & IOM as standing invitees).

10. A bottom up approach to build consensus among interested governments Follow-up Protection agenda

11. Added value • Providing a «home» for a topic without institutional home and highlighting an often neglected problem • Facilitating dialogue and linkages between «silos» for a cross-cutting issue • Framing issues of human mobility in the context of disasters and feeding them into relevant processes: • UNFCCC • Disaster risk reduction (Sendai 2015) • World Humanitarian Summit (Istanbul 2016) • Regional processes (e.g. IGAD) • Etc.

12. Envisaged outcome Common understanding of issues and challenges Good practices and tools What needs to be done: Key issues for the three pillars Roles and responsibilities of relevant actors Action plan for follow-up

13. Protection Agenda • A set of common understandings outlining shared analysis, assumptions and principles regarding cross-border mobility in the context of disasters, including the effects of climate change • An accompanying set of effective practices drawing on the actual, practical experience of Governments • An action plan for domestic, regional and global levels

14. Lessons learnt • Population movements are multi-causal: displacement “in the context of disasters” rather than “disaster-induced” • Dynamics are mainly regional, vary from region to region, and call for regional responses (role of regional organizations) • Need to integrate population movements into NAPs, etc. • Need for comprehensive approach (“toolbox”): • Prevention / adaptation / resilience; • Temporary/circular/permanent migration as adaptation; • Planned relocation; • (Temporary) protection for the displaced, linked to durable solutions

15. Thank you for your attention www.nanseninitiative.org The Nansen Initiative is primarily funded by the governments of Norway and Switzerland. The Initiative also benefits from generous funding from the European Union. The European Commission is the EU’s executive body. “The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders”.