Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Advancing Localisation in Displacement and Statelessness Responses

Key outcomes

The Multi-stakeholder Pledge on Advancing Localisation in Displacement and Statelessness Responses aims to transform the way local and national actors can work in displacement and statelessness situations by developing stronger and more equitable partnerships with them. This is done by strengthening capacity and ownership, and fostering sustainable and contextually relevant solutions to improve the lives of displaced and stateless people. The pledge contributes towards whole-of-society approaches and comprehensive responses, which are central to the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).

Background

Advancing Localisation in Displacement and Statelessness Responses is an enabling, cross-cutting multi-stakeholder pledge which contributes to all four objectives of the GCR. The pledge builds on recommendations from the High-Level Officials Meeting in 2021, the global and regional NGO consultations conducted in 2021 and 2022 and the broader localisation agenda, by complementing and interpreting existing efforts on localization, including the Grand Bargain, in the context of the GCR.

Advancing the localization agenda is a priority of many stakeholders engaged with the GCR, including the need to recognize the expertise and crucial role of local and national actors. These actors are often the first responders in large-scale refugee situations and have significant impact in responses to displacement and statelessness. They ensure that assistance and protection are needs-based; sensitive to community, culture and faith; and contribute to sustainable solutions in the longer term.

Pledge description

The specific aim of this multi-stakeholder pledge is to identify opportunities and address some of the challenges that local and national actors face when responding to displacement and statelessness situations. These challenges relate to funding, participation in decision-making, two-way capacity-sharing and recognition.

To support this aim, stakeholders can make commitments under one or several pledge components:

  • Policy: Commit to support and promote efforts of all relevant actors, from local to international, in collectively advancing locally led action in displacement and statelessness responses, including through fulfilling localization commitments outlined in this pledge.
  • Partnerships: Invest in transformative change when it comes to partnerships and power dynamics to advance effective and sustainable localization in displacement and statelessness responses.
  • Decision-making: Promote and facilitate safe, inclusive, meaningful and equitable participation of local and national actors in decision-making processes and structures.
  • Capacity-sharing: Enhance capacity-sharing, including by promoting local knowledge and mutual learning, between local/national actors and other stakeholders.
  • Funding: Significantly improve the accessibility, quality, quantity and tracking of funding to local and national actors.

The pledge document contains further guidance on making commitments to the Multi-stakeholder Pledge on Advancing Localisation in Displacement and Statelessness Responses.

Related pledges to match

GRF-00652 - Government of Indonesia - Design a refugee empowerment programme, in cooperation with UNHCR and IOM. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00675 - Government of Mexico - Establecimiento Mesas inter-institucionales de integración local de refugiados, por temáticas y mesas a nivel locales / Establishment of inter-institutional boards for local integration of refugees, by theme and at the local level. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00702 - Government of Mozambique - Local Integration. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00777 - Government of Nigeria - Nigeria pledges to continue playing an active and constructive role in regional and sub-regional efforts to address the root causes of displacement. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00482 - Government of El Salvador - Strengthening of protection and solutions mechanisms at the national level for the attention of internally displaced persons, deported persons with protection needs, refugees and asylum seekers. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00708 - Government of Namibia - Management of Refugees. Find out more about matching this pledge.

Pledge updates
View all
February 2024 - post GRF follow-up and analysis

Key statistics

  • Thirty six pledges currently registered
  • Thirty five pledging entities in support of this pledge:
    • Thirteen international NGOs/Networks
    • Seven Member States
    • Six local/national NGOs/RLOs
    • Six International Organizations
    • Two Private Sector
    • One Multi-stakeholder
  • USD 104.3 million in financial contributions

Flagship pledges announced

  • The Netherlands will commit EUR 80 million in the period 2024-2027 for direct funding of local organizations and intermediaries that are specifically working towards localization.
  • Canada seeks to advance localization efforts through a $10.5 million contribution to establish a first-of-its-kind pooled fund for a localized humanitarian-development nexus response to the Rohingya crisis.
  • The Amahoro Coalition, through its fellowship program, will support more than 120 forcibly displaced youth leaders on the continent by providing them with training, mentorship, private sector connections, and opportunities for market access and disburse over $5 million to these individuals to enable them to grow and upscale their organizations.
  • The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Refugees Initiative will dedicate at least 50% of its annual budget as directly as possible to local organizations supporting refugee populations in Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Uganda; local organizations will include, in particular, refugee-led organizations as well as government entities such as city governments.
  • BRAC pledges to establish a globally recognized localisation pooled fund model, amplifying funding for local and national actors excluded from conventional humanitarian and development opportunities. As a "risk sink" for donors, BRAC commits to developing and delivering demand-driven, tailored capacity-strengthening programmes for 2,500 staff members from local and national actors.
  • PILnet pledges to offer close to 1 million pro bono hours to RLOS and to broker free legal assistance for 160 civil society organizations working with and for refugees, incl. 80 RLOs.
  • The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) pledges systematic provision of Indirect Cost Recovery to Local Partners.

Leadership

  • ICVA
  • Multi-stakeholder reference group co-creating the pledge

Supported by UNHCR.

Sub-thematic leads

  • Working group on Funding – Oxfam, Nahda Makers Organisations (Yemen) and UNHCR
  • Working group on Inclusion in decision-making – HIAS and UNHCR
  • Working group on Capacity-sharing – The Grassroot-Led Organisations Consortium (Nigeria) and UNHCR

Members

  • Bondeko Refugee Livelihoods Centre
  • BRAC
  • Government of Canada
  • Danish Refugee Council
  • Government of Denmark
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • HIAS
  • InterAction
  • The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
  • The Lotus Flower
  • Lutheran World Federation
  • Government of the Netherlands
  • Oxfam
  • Nahda Makers
  • The National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova
  • Government of Uganda
  • Somalia NGO Consortia
  • United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef)
  • United Stateless
  • Venezuelan Union in Peru

Contact details

Nadja Guggi ([email protected]) UNHCR; Davina Said ([email protected]), ICVA

Calendar

  • 17 October 2024, 18.30-19.45 (CEST): Pledge reception (invitation only)
  • April 2025: Multi-stakeholder pledge reference group meeting

Further information

Contributions towards this multi-stakeholder pledge