Multistakeholder Pledge: Common Position on Forced Displacement of OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) INCAF Members Supporting the GCR

Key outcome

Common Position on the forced displacement development policy area by members of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) International Network on Crisis and Fragility (INCAF) supporting the Global Compact on Refugees/

Background

The OECD DAC INCAF Common Position recognises the extensive efforts by low- and middle-income countries (LICs and MICs) facing refugee, internal displacement, and statelessness situations to protect, assist, and find solutions for all three groups. It recognises the suffering and hardship faced by people forced to flee. It recognises progress made in addressing forced displacement situations utilizing Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approaches. It reaffirms the need to work beyond a short-term vision, recognising risks of aid dependency and exclusion of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people from the hosting societies, in addition to the increased burden on already-limited resources in hosting areas.  The 2019 DAC Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus is particularly relevant in forced displacement contexts. It always requires peace and conflict sensitive approaches, and development approaches whenever possible.

INCAF is a unique network and subsidiary body constituted of DAC members and multilateral agencies working in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The INCAF programme of work includes a workstream on forced displacement. By encouraging lesson learning and promoting good practice among its members, INCAF works to achieve policy commitments and behaviour change among international actors at headquarters and country levels to help achieve the DAC’s ambition to implement the 2030 agenda.

Pledge description

The DAC INCAF Common Position reaffirms the need to work beyond a short-term vision, recognising risks of aid dependency and exclusion of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people from the hosting societies, in addition to the increased burden on already-limited resources in hosting areas. It re-affirms the ultimate goal to achieve durable solutions to displacement and statelessness, and in the absence of durable solutions, to ensure that those forced to flee can participate in the sustainable development of countries and societies. The Common Position calls for cooperation among development, peace, and humanitarian actors in complex environments, to become part of the standard engagement in forced displacement contexts, while also recognising the importance of localisation and climate action.

The DAC INCAF Common Position sets forward three engagement areas for development co-operation in refugee, internal displacement, and statelessness situations in low- and middle-income countries:

• Engagement area 1: Support the early mitigation of shocks associated with the impact of forced displacement in LICs and MICs through comprehensive humanitarian, development, and peace support, and through climate action.
• Engagement area 2: Include the forcibly displaced and stateless in sustainable development and climate action.
• Engagement area 3: Address recurring drivers of forced displacement, support solutions, and support preparedness to cope with rising trends.

Leadership

Facilitated by the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) within the DAC INCAF workstream on forced displacement, under the overall leadership of the Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

Contributors

Adopted by the following members of DAC INCAF:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Czechia
• Denmark
• European Union
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands,
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• The United Kingdom
• The United States of America.

Also supported by:

• Members of the OECD DEV Policy Dialogue on Migration and Development: Ecuador, Türkiye (Ministry of Labour and Social Security)
• Others: Office of the UN Special Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Contact details

[email protected]; [email protected]

Calendar

• The DAC INCAF Common Position was adopted in November 2023