Delegation from Represented by
Republic of South Africa Santiago Canyon College
Position Paper for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The topics before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are: Addressing the Needs of the Internally Displaced and Improving Food and Housing for Urban Refugees. South Africa would like to express its commitment to addressing these issues and looks forward to collaborating with fellow Member States.
I. Addressing the Needs of the Internally Displaced
60 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2015 alone. Of that number, approximately 38 million were internally displaced persons (IDPs). The severity of this situation cannot be overstated as every minute 24 more people are newly displaced. This reality not only directly violates Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also undermines Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 16. While IDPs may leave their homes for similar reasons as refugees (e.g. conflict, violence, climate change, or natural disasters) because they remain displaced in their home country and have yet to cross a border, they are not afforded the same protections and benefits as refugees. IDPs do not always have the means or ability to leave their home countries, so they are forced to live off the limited resources that the countries have. Refugees who cross borders not only receive the majority of the world’s attention, but they receive the most assistance despite accounting for less than half of the overall refugee population. A/RES/70/165 recognizes the need for increased awareness for IDPs in the international community as well as the importance of international humanitarian law. While the UNHCR does give some attention to IDPs, more focused attention is needed. Currently, refugees receive approximately 80% of the UNHCR’s budget, leaving the programs that focus on solving the issues of needs for IDPs with only 20% of the overall budget. IDPs are being overlooked and have been for far too long. South Africa believes that it is crucial to assist IDPs by increasing aid to give them food, water, and shelter. While international response to internal displacement has greatly improved in the last decade, A/RES/71/173 expresses serious concern about the expected reduction allocated to provide assistance to IDPs in Africa and South Africa wholeheartedly agrees. South Africa calls upon African States that have not yet signed or ratified the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa to consider doing so as soon as possible to ensure further implementation. South Africa recognizes that regional measures to prevent, prohibit, and eliminate root causes of internal displacement need to be enacted not only in our country, but throughout the rest of Africa and around the world. A legal framework also needs to be established to protect and assist the internally displaced. Furthermore, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development seeks to address the needs of the most vulnerable, including internally displaced people. South Africa proposes developing an international agency called the International Internally Displaced Person’s Agency (IIDPA). South Africa urges collaborating with humanitarian NGOs to enable the development of the IIDPA, since the UNHCR is not providing enough aid to IDPs. The IIDPA will promote the rights of IDPs, as expressed in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, engage governments and Member States on particular circumstances of internal displacement and the human rights of IDPs, and further research on issues pertaining to internal displacement.
II. Improving Housing and Food Security for Urban Refugees
South Africa is fully aware of the housing and food security crisis at hand with an unprecedented 65 million people displaced by war and persecution in 2015. An increasing number of refugees are fleeing to cities as they are attracted to the social mobility opportunities, economic resources, and government services that are found within urban areas. Rural refugee camps do not offer any prospect of an independent, stable life. Humanitarian agencies that are used to working in these “traditional” refugee camps in rural areas must now adapt to supply more adequate security and living conditions for refugees choosing to reside in urban communities. Urban environments, being complex and densely populated, pose to be a problem for humanitarian efforts as often times refugees will withhold their identification due to fear of deportation. This overcrowding and rapid expansion of slums threaten a city’s efforts toward eradication of local poverty thus resulting in violent xenophobic outbreaks and discrimination. In short, urban refugees are denied access to basic necessities. Endorsing A/RES/71/256, that promotes inclusive human settlements that are affordable, resilient, and accessible, South Africa strongly recommends that international governments work with non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, and other appropriate actors to assess the influx of urban refugees and address their insufficient housing situation. As outlined in the Global Strategy For Livelihoods, South Africa maintains that all people should be able to make a sustainable living and flourish knowing that they are protected by irrevocable human rights. Recognizing A/RES/66/220 and the High Level Task Force on Global Food and Nutrition Security in the statement that food should meet proper nutritional standards and be accessible to everyone at all times. South Africa supports the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that promotes private and public partnerships for the the access and delivery of various agricultural technologies for sustainable use by smallholder farmers. Besides the AATF, South Africa also supports the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) which has launched four investment programs one of which is dedicated to the strengthening of agriculture and food security with an emphasis on needing to adapt to the effects of global climate change in 2016. South Africa proposes that all Member States take the following actions: 1) Address the vulnerabilities of national and local authorities and adapt existing humanitarian tools to urban contexts 2) Direct funding toward the building of urban settlements where rent is provided for either the first 12 or 18 months 3) Set up an Adaption Sanctuary where urban refugees can be educated on sustainable farming techniques and work alongside smallholder farmers, as well as ensure there is an understanding of maintaining proper nutrition. With these steps taken, urban refugees will be able to positively contribute to the local economy and acquire skills to be able to provide for themselves, meeting the standard of living outlined in Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, and 8. South Africa would like to remind Member States that failing to comply with or accomplish the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is a failure by the international community to address global challenges. This world is interlinked and we are dependent on one another to unite in hardship and create viable solutions that benefit every member of society.