Multistakeholder Pledge: Leveraging the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus through comprehensive approaches to promote resilience, self-reliance, and durable solutions for refugees and host countries

Key outcomes

Commitments which form part of this multi-stakeholder pledge will contribute towards the enhanced use of Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus approaches to maximum advantage in pursuit of achieving the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees and then realizing human security for refugees and host communities through strengthened collaboration among humanitarian, development, and peace actors in displacement contexts.

Members take concrete action to contribute towards addressing forced displacement with a HDP lens. This could take the form of:

• Individual contributions in the spirit of HDP approaches or in sectors which complement the existing GRF 2023 multi-stakeholder pledging architecture
• HDP approach commitments in specific regions or countries
• Commitments to mainstream forced displacement across humanitarian, development and peace instruments or to have dedicated strategies, financing or responsibility-sharing mechanisms along the humanitarian-development-peace spectrum to support countries and communities
• Commitments to setting up or strengthening coordination mechanisms that span across the HDP nexus actors to enhance complementarity of programming and foster synergies.

Background

As global displacement hits unprecedented levels, there is a need for more innovative approaches to identifying sustainable solutions for people forced to flee. While it is essential to promptly provide emergency humanitarian assistance, such as support for housing, food, water, and sanitation, it is equally important to provide mid- to long-term development cooperation to meet the needs of both displaced persons and their host communities in a more sustainable manner until solutions can be found. In addition, these efforts should be linked to peacebuilding efforts that tackle challenges in countries of origin and promotes possibility of durable solutions. These humanitarian, development and peace complementary initiatives will realize human security for refugees, host communities, and all others (returnees, IDPs, migrants, etc.) by promoting self-reliance of each individuals and communities, enhancing resilience of hosting communities, and ensuring sustainability of these frameworks through solidarity around the globe.

We need to take a comprehensive and complementary three-pronged approach in cooperation with various partners to implement:

1. life-saving humanitarian assistance, to meet the immediate needs and protect the rights of displaced people;
2. development cooperation to ease pressures on host countries and enhance refugee self-reliance by building basic infrastructure and sustained access to national services and promoting stability of livelihoods, and education and vocational training to expand future possibilities for displaced people; and
3. peace-related activities to achieve social stability and create conditions in countries of origin for voluntary return in safe and dignity.

Cooperation for addressing the root causes of displacement (e.g. peace negotiation, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; climate adaptation; and promoting respect for the rule of law), and prevention of humanitarian crises (e.g. conflict prevention, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction; and early warning) should also be encouraged as part of HDP nexus approaches.

HDP Nexus approaches can help overcome the dilemma of short-term demands and long-term needs, the disagreement of the reality of protracted situations and the potentials of return, and the dichotomy of refugees and host communities to enhance sustainable co-existence of various communities. It can also prevent future humanitarian crises and provide an opportunity to resolve displacement challenges, thereby also contributing to reducing humanitarian funding needs.

The outcome document of the High-Level Officials Meeting in December 2021 called for “Mak(ing) better use of combined humanitarian, development, and peace capacities to achieve the GCR objectives.” The Second Global Refugee Forum could be a key milestone in the promotion of the HDP Nexus for durable solutions and in the meanwhile addressing various needs of displaced population and host communities in protracted situations.

Pledge description

This cross-cutting multistakeholder pledge aims to maximize the potential of HDP Nexus approaches, by promoting increased collaboration among humanitarian, development and peace actors to address refugee and displacement issues. It sets out the vision and approach that would guide stakeholders in the development of specific pledges linked to different aspects of the nexus. In essence, this pledge serves as an umbrella under which all stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, refugee-led organisations, and the private sector, can bring together their strengths and put in place overarching political commitments and effective initiatives and mechanisms for burden and responsibility sharing to address displacement crises across the nexus.

Actions under this pledge will seek to support and promote durable solutions, resilience and sustainable co-existence of displaced population and host communities through HDP nexus approaches. Each stakeholder joining this multistakeholder pledge will take actions in areas in which they can best use their strengths. These could include, but not exclusively, creating a conducive environment for return as well as to ease burden of host countries/communities through complementing humanitarian, development and peace efforts.

It is envisaged that progress of this multistakeholder pledge would be monitored through a number of programs/projects conducted through a HDP nexus approach, that capitalize on the synergistic effects gained from the approach to resolve forcibly displaced situations , such as:

• # of multi-stakeholder complementary collaboration programs between humanitarian, development and peace actors;
• # of refugee inclusive development programs (presumably, in partnership with humanitarian and peace actors);
• # of prevention efforts (conflict, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction) applying HDP nexus principles.
• # of initiatives to promote durable solutions applying HDP nexus principles.
• # of non-displacement specific political fora integrate displacement considerations.
• # of actors having dedicated strategies, financing or responsibility sharing commitments along the humanitarian-development peace spectrum to support countries and communities affected by displacement
• # of actors that include forced displacement explicitly in their humanitarian, development (and/or peace) planning

Members are expected to commit to ensure that HDP nexus approaches to displacement features in relevant fora and burden-responsibility-sharing arrangements linked to humanitarian response, development cooperation and peacebuilding, and to addressing root causes (global, regional and country levels).

Leadership

• Japan
• Other interested stakeholders

Members

• Refugee hosting countries which are open to HDP nexus approaches to forced displacement settings.
• Countries which promotes voluntary return through HDP nexus approach
• Donor countries who take HDP nexus approaches
• Other stakeholders envisioned in the GCR

Calendar

• September 2023: consultations with stakeholders
• October - December 2023: drafting and finalization of pledges