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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 1B
    Act early

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to act early upon potential conflict situations based on early warning findings and shared conflict analysis, in accordance with international law.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to make successful conflict prevention visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In line with the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR's) focus was on providing holistic support to meet the immediate needs of people of concern and their host communities and linking the response to solutions early on.

    Implementing its Grand Bargain commitments, UNHCR worked with local authorities, communities and partners to improve emergency preparedness.

    UNHCR continued its investment in risk analysis and collaborated with other agencies, including at regular global “horizon scanning” sessions organized by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness.

    UNHCR uses the global High Alert List for Emergency Preparedness (HALEP) and its associated diagnostic tool to capture and provide an overview of levels of countries’ preparedness and capacity to respond to potential population displacement, as well as prioritize headquarters preparedness support. As of January 2018, the HALEP lists 60 UNHCR operations at medium/high risk of emergency (67 in January 2017) from one or more of the 24 identified situations of concern (26 in January 2017).

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    UNHCR uses the global HALEP platform.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue to dedicate resources to ensure HALEP remains a dynamic tool. It is regularly updated and in constant review with inclusion and exclusion of situations of concern and countries affected on a regular basis. 

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction, Displacement

  • 1C
    Remain engaged and invest in stability

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to improve prevention and peaceful resolution capacities at the national, regional and international level improving the ability to work on multiple crises simultaneously.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to sustain political leadership and engagement through all stages of a crisis to prevent the emergence or relapse into conflict.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to address root causes of conflict and work to reduce fragility by investing in the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 recognizes the rule of law as fundamental to sustainable and inclusive development, and that governance and the rule of law can support or hinder comprehensive solutions. For these reasons, in 2017, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reinforced partnerships and joined relevant coordination structures of organizations that support country level programming with a strong focus on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. These include the Global Alliance on SDG 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, which UNHCR co-chairs; the Global Focal Point on Rule of Law, the UN inter-agency platform on core government functions in fragile settings, the UN Peacebuilding Fund and the Geneva Centre for Security, Development and the Rule of Law. UNHCR works with these entities at the policy and programmatic level to better define the intersections between the prevention and stability agendas and forced displacement and statelessness agendas, and improve the effectiveness of current prevention and stability agendas by including knowledge and expertise on forced displacement and statelessness.

    UNHCR also contributed to related research in 2017, including OECD case studies on lessons learned from evaluations in countries of origin, research on forced displacement, conflict and land, and research on forced displacement and participation in political processes such as peace processes and elections. UNHCR also initiated with UNDP joint programmes in at least 15 countries in areas identified following a joint-review, including, inter alia, SDG implementation as it relates to leave no-one behind, enhanced partnerships in rule of law, human rights, access to justice, community security and local governance to better respond to protection priorities and durable solutions.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • By applying processes/indicators developed to measure WHS commitments specifically.
    • Other: Through SDG 16-related process.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    UNHCR is developing an internal framework for assessing progress against its individual contribution and how this affects change to the core commitment. Progress is also assessed through UNHCR's Results Framework.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    UNHCR has always been working on areas that contribute to achieving the transformation. However, it has proven challenging to measure the actual impact and the Office is developing a specific monitoring framework.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • A new Division on Resilience and Solutions is to be created at UNHCR headquarters to ensure dedicated capacity is devoted to achieve this transformation.
    • Develop internal framework to measure progress against UNHCR contribution.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Entities whose core mandate it is to contribute to stability should include forced displacement and statelessness expertise and knowledge in design of programme interventions to advance conflict prevention and stability and ensure that conflict does not spread and becomes recurrent, leading to recurrent displacement. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    UNHCR has noticed an increased attention to statelessness and forced displacement dynamics by partners working on peacebuilding.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 2A
    Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, and by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Through its mandated activities in respect of refugee protection, and where relevant in respect of internal displacement, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued to work in 2017 to ensure that refugees, asylum-seekers and IDPs fleeing conflict could gain access to safety and protection.

    UNHCR has worked to preserve the civilian character of asylum and of refugee and IDP camps and settlements, including through collaboration with government authorities and other international and national partners. UNHCR worked on updating a guidance to its operations worldwide on measures to be taken to safeguard the civilian and humanitarian character of asylum and refugee protection, as well as IDP settlements, incorporating elements for concrete strategies to prevent combatants and weapons from entering settlements and other concrete threats to the safety and rights of civilians in conflict.

    UNHCR has also continued to advocate for the protection and respect for the human rights of civilians in all operational contexts in which it is engaged within the scope of its mandate and resources.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Famework, which are also used to measure progress against the Office's Global Strategic Priorities. These include indicators on ensuring a favourable protection environment, notably ensuring access to territorial protection and asylum procedures; ensuring security from violence and exploitation; and reducing protection risks.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    UNHCR observes challenges in seeking to uphold respect for international law, humanitarian principles and the rights of displaced persons. This is particularly so in situations of armed conflict, where violations of the rights of civilians may occur. Maintaining the civilian character of asylum and refugee/IDP settlements is challenging where security actors are unwilling to cooperate.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue to work with state and non-state partners to promote respect for the rights of persons of concern in conflict, through advocacy, operational engagement and all other means at its disposal.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Greater engagement on the part of all actors in hostilities with UN and other actors promoting observance of humanitarian principles and international law.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Cooperation with other UN entities and NGOs in supporting the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict and the SRSG on Children in Armed Conflict.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Protection

  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to drive inter-agency efforts to place protection at the centre of humanitarian action and ensure that the needs and capacities of people in crisis guide collective actions to enhance protection and find solutions.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) engagement in situations of internal displacement has become more predictable through the implementation of new guidelines agreed in 2016 on UNHCR's engagement in internal displacement. In 2017, 90% of UNHCR's operational interventions were aligned with the "IDP Footprint" set out in the guidelines.

    As the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) lead agency, UNHCR led in 2017 25 of the 35 activated, country-level protection clusters and other inter-agency protection coordination mechanisms worldwide.

    UNHCR supported the elaboration of Humanitarian Country Teams' (HCT) protection strategies, in line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Protection Policy. At the end of 2017, there were HCT protection strategies developed in Central African Republic, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  South Sudan and Sudan are currently in the process of updating their respective strategies.  In addition, in 2017, HCT protection strategies development processes were initiated in Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and the Philippines.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Reviewing the activities of field protection clusters (or cluster-like) to support the centrality of protection in selected country case studies provides an opportunity for critical reflection and learning across country contexts, with a focus on progress on strategic direction of the HCT.  

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The review of efforts shows an indicative pattern has emerged, whereby identifying clear priorities and a strategic approach and then rendering it into tangible actions remains a challenge.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue to fulfill its leading protection role through notably the Global Protection Cluster (GPC). The GPC will provide global support to specific countries, through notably a community of practice framework. In addition, the GPC’s missions to support field protection clusters and the centrality of protection efforts will continue to provide practical support and initiate processes.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The reflection and design of collective outcomes need to have a strong protection focus. The HCT can also take the lead in ensuring that all relevant actors and stakeholders are included in the strategic and operational aspects of protection.  Having an inclusive approach has proven to be an important part of increasing understanding, awareness and involvement in protection, as seen in Somalia or in Syria.  Involving development actors more widely has resulted in identifying complementary activities and initiatives for protection. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • The GPC produced an annual review of action that promoted the centrality of protection.
    • In Myanmar and the Whole of Syria, each project proposal submitted to the respective common humanitarian fund is required to consider protection risks as part of the submission. 

     

    Keywords

    Displacement, Protection

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) unique mandate and responsibility continued to make it a leading authority on legal matters related to forced displacement in 2017. In exercising its responsibility for supervising international instruments for the protection of refugees - particularly the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol - the Office maintained its critical role in developing international law and standards in the area of forced displacement. In 2017, UNHCR made 33 country submissions to the universal periodic review (UPR), 113 to the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies, and 25 oral briefings to these bodies.

    Many host countries maintained open borders during 2017, showing remarkable commitment and generosity towards those in need of international protection. However, protection space shrunk in some places, and persistent challenges remained in responses to more complex, irregular and mixed movements of people. A growing focus on border control, together with damaging narratives around people on the move had a direct impact on refugees. Serious concerns emerged during 2017 regarding the approach of a number of States towards asylum matters, including: narrowed eligibility for refugee status; limited or no access to fair and efficient asylum procedures and rights; and the wide‑spread use of detention, including of children, for immigration‑related reasons. UNHCR continued to advocate for outcomes in line with its “Global strategy–beyond detention 2014-2019” on ending detention. Key priorities for advocacy included: encouraging alternatives to detention; ending detention of refugee and migrant children; and ensuring adequate conditions in cases in which detention was a last resort. In addition to this work, States, partners and UNHCR rolled out joint initiatives that focused on moving beyond detention in 20 countries.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue fulfilling its supervisory role of international instruments for the protection of refugees. 

    Keywords

    Displacement, Protection

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to fully implementing the IASC GBV Guidelines by 2018.

    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • UNHCR commits to providing capacity building and/or other support to 10 civil society and/or Member State partners to accelerate their ability to sign on to the Call to Action by 2017.

    • Capacity
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Gender-based violence prevention and response

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has disseminated the Inter-Agency Standing Committee ( IASC) gender-based violence (GBV) Guidelines to all staff. UNHCR is an active member of the related IASC Reference Group, which has trained over 2,300 humanitarian practitioners in 18 countries and one region across 11 sectors. UNHCR as the Global Protection Cluster lead has participated in all the country-level rollouts.

    Specific refugee operations that were supported in 2017 include Greece and Lebanon, and in latter the Office also participated in the operational review on the impact of the roll out of the guidelines.

    Under the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence, a Safe from the Start Initiative was launched to deploy Senior Protection Officers at the onset of emergencies. Since 2013, UNHCR has provided 22 of its operations with support from Senior Protection Officers (sexual and gender-based violence - SGBV) for a total of 178 months, of which 12 operations received support in 2017 (for a total of 60 months). These deployments have increased the efficiency and coverage of UNHCR's SGBV programming.

     

     

     

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    UNHCR has continued to work in 2017 to promote respect for and compliance with refugee law, pursuant to its mandate under its Statute, the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol and regional and national refugee law instruments.

    Promoting respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is an integral part of its work to protect the rights of persons of its concern, including refugees as well as returnees, stateless persons, internally displaced persons in relevant context, and others. These have been pursued through input to States’ legislative processes to ensure that national law reflects international legal standards, advocacy with respect to State practice, and enforcement of international and national standards in these areas, including through court interventions, collaboration with and input to international and national human rights mechanisms and other legal channels.

    UNHCR has continued to collaborate closely with States and international and national entities responsible for and working on the promotion of these legal areas.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Through UNHCR Results' Framework, which include indicators pertaining to SGBV and favourable protection environment (through access to asylum procedures for instance). In addition, UNHCR has developed a monitoring and evaluation framework around a set of essential actions across sectors deemed effective at preventing and responding to SGBV.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Human resources/capacity
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Sustaining and strengthening the momentum of programming in emergencies to continue through the cycle of displacement is a specific challenge constrained by the quality of skilled staff and resources.
    • International standards enshrined in national laws and the existing mechanisms to ensure compliance with IHL operate to varying degrees of effectiveness in practice.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • UNHCR will develop an SGBV Policy in 2018, focusing on prevention, risk mitigation and response to SGBV.  Deployments of Senior Protection Officers (SGBV) at the onset of emergencies will continue to take place to prioritize SGBV prevention and response. 
    • UNHCR will continue its efforts to encourage States to adopt legislation reflecting international refugee legal norms, and ensure that this is applied effectively in practice. It will strive to ensure that mechanisms and good practice are enshrined in the Global Compact on Refugees.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Sustaining and strengthening the momentum of programming in emergencies to continue through the cycle of displacement.
    • Need for more skilled SGBV staff and resources for both UNHCR and partners. 
    • Member States to adopt the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact on Migration in a form that can ensure better respect for existing obligations and standards for international protection.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • See How Night-Time Street Lighting Affects Refugee Communities.  A Population-based  assessment of community lighting in Northern Uganda's Rhino Camp refugee settlement 2017, available at https://www.refworld.org/docid/5ae2f2694.html
    • Adoption of regional standards and use of regional entities to promote respect for IHL, IHRL and refugee law.

     

    Keywords

    Displacement, Gender, IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has continued to work in 2017 to promote respect for and compliance with refugee law, pursuant to its mandate under its Statute, the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol and regional and national refugee law instruments.

    Promoting respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) is an integral part of its work to protect the rights of persons of its concern, including refugees as well as returnees, stateless persons, internally displaced persons in relevant context, and others. These have been pursued through input to States’ legislative processes to ensure that national law reflects international legal standards, advocacy with respect to State practice, and enforcement of international and national standards in these areas, including through court interventions, collaboration with and input to international and national human rights mechanisms and other legal channels.

    UNHCR has continued to collaborate closely with states and international and national entities responsible for and working on the promotion of these legal areas.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework. These include indicators that have been declared as Global Strategic Priority indicators for UNHCR, including indicators on ensuring a favourable protection environment.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Buy-in
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Globally, UNHCR faces challenges in seeking to ensure respect for international law, humanitarian principles and the rights of displaced persons. While international standards are enshrined in national law in many countries, and mechanisms exist to ensure compliance and accountability, these operate to varying degrees of effectiveness in practice.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • UNHCR will continue its efforts to encourage states to adopt legislation reflecting international refugee legal norms, and ensure that this is applied effectively in practice. It will continue to work with responsible agencies at national and international level to promote more consistent respect, compliance and accountability in respect of IHL and IHRL. 
    • UNHCR will strive to ensure that mechanisms, good practice and commitments are enshrined in the Global Compact on Refugees to be adopted by the General Assembly.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    It is hoped and foreseen that the Global Compact on Refugees, as well as the Global Compact on Migration, will win support from Member States in the General Assembly and across the UN’s membership. If adopted in a form that can ensure better respect for existing obligations and standards for international protection, and put in place a more comprehensive framework for respect for migrants’ rights and the governance of migration, this is likely to contribute significantly to this end.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Adoption of regional standards and use of regional entities to promote respect for IHL, IHRL and refugee law. Collective engagement in the form of regional and international fora to address challenges around displacement and develop guidance, shared approaches and good practice documents.

    Keywords

    Displacement, IHL compliance and accountability, Migrants

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (10)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to a predictable engagement in situations of internal displacement, subject to resources being made available by the international community.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to a sustained partnership with entities that wish to work collaboratively in situations of forced displacement based on the Wilton Park Principles: working through national and local systems; supporting host communities and building social cohesion; enabling economic participation and growth; providing impactful and innovative financing and improving the data and evidence base.
    • Partnership
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to continue to fulfil its core task of ensuring international protection and assistance and seeking permanent solutions for refugees and other persons of its concern, working in close cooperation with States, relevant organizations and other actors.

    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to enabling equitable and sustainable access to adequate health services for refugees by advocating for the removal of mandatory disease screening and testing due to status, including HIV testing for refugees and asylum-seekers; working in a multi-sectoral fashion with partners during the contingency and response phases to ensure an integrated response to the provision of assistance to refugees so as to reduce dependency and improve sustainability, as well as to improve the capacity of national health systems; advocating with other UN agencies and other organizations for the creation of a health travel passport that allows for continuity of care for refugees and other displaced persons, whenever feasible, while always ensuring medical confidentiality and protection concerns.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to ensure respect for international refugee law and protection principles through its supervisory responsibility in relation to relevant international instruments, including through leading and contributing to the progressive development of international, regional and national refugee law and to more effective implementation of legal standards in practice.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to expand the use of biometrics for refugee registration to a total of 75 country operations in order to enhance the protection of refugees by maintaining their key identity features and to strengthen the integrity of aid delivery.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to further developing its dialogue and cooperation with Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to facilitate their active engagement in situations of forced displacement where their technical and financial comparative advantages can contribute to improved socio-economic outcomes for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and affected host communities.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to reinforcing the Solutions Alliance as a central platform for collaborative action in support of solutions to conflict-induced displacement and to do so by engaging in relevant national groups.

    • Partnership
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to support efforts that enable economic participation of forcibly displaced persons and access to finance, in collaboration with partners, thereby contributing to their self-reliance, preparedness for solutions and also to poverty reduction and economic growth.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to working with development organizations, research institutions, and other partners to leverage their expertise in strengthening existing data collection efforts and to build the evidence base of the economic impact of refugees on host economies through active engagement in new studies.
    • Partnership
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Refugees

    Guided by its mandate, and by its 2017–2021 Strategic Directions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued in 2017 to seek to shape the global response to forced displacement. The Office did so by supporting States to address protection challenges and develop national protection systems; placing people of concern at the centre of its work; and working across the entire spectrum of displacement.

    Throughout 2017, UNHCR committed to strengthening partnerships to support host countries and their communities, including with States as the principal actors in providing protection and solutions. The 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) continued to rank as important milestones for global solidarity and international protection. As of end of 2017, the CRRF was being applied in 13 refugee-hosting countries and across two regions, and will progressively be rolled out in all large-scale refugee situations. For more details, please see the attached report.

    IDPs (due to conflict, violence, and disaster)

    As the global lead or co-lead for three clusters - protection, shelter, and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) - UNHCR plays a significant role in responding to internal displacement. In line with the 2030 Agenda, including its commitment to “leave no one behind”, the Office promoted and supported national, regional and global action towards reducing displacement and empowering IDPs to achieve solutions. 

    UNHCR’s engagement in situations of internal displacement has become more predictable through implementation of new guidelines agreed in 2016 on UNHCR’s engagement in internal displacement. In 2017, 90% of UNHCR’s operational interventions were aligned with the “IDP Footprint” set out in the guidelines.

    UNHCR also completed an operational review of its engagement in situation of internal displacement, which recommended transformations in UNHCR’s work with IDPs from preparedness and emergency response to disengagement and solutions. It also called for changes to internal processes, practices, capacities, with a strong focus on strengthening delivery in the field. For more details, please see the attached report.

    Cross-border, disaster and climate related displacement

    UNHCR seeks to contribute to international processes and discussions aimed at strengthening efforts to address disaster and climate-related risks. In April 2017, UNHCR issued advice on legal considerations in relation to people fleeing conflict and famine affected countries entitled “Legal considerations on refugee protection for people fleeing conflict and famine affected countries”. This advice reaffirmed the relevance, and analyses the applicability, of refugee definitions under international and regional instruments. UNHCR also supported the preparation of a Human Rights Council resolution on human rights, climate change, migrants and people displaced across international borders, which was adopted in June 2017. 

    UNHCR continued to support the coordination entities established in 2016, such as the Platform on Disaster Displacement, including through developing a guide with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to implement the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction provisions on disaster displacement. UNHCR also contributed as a core member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Task Force on Displacement to develop recommendations on integrated approaches to address displacement related to climate change.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework, including some that have been declared global strategic priorities. UNHCR also reports systematically to its Executive Committee on challenges and achievements in the course of its work. More details are provided in the attached report.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Please see the attached report for more details.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Gaps in adherence to international legal standards and principles frequently compels people to flee their homes and seek protection, across borders or within their countries, and precludes them from returning to their places of origin or securing a durable solution elsewhere. Limited funding and insecurity also affects UNHCR's ability to fulfill its mandate and mission.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue to seek to reinforce protection principles and bolster political will and state engagement and practices to protect refugees, IDPs and stateless persons and achieve solutions through its ongoing core protection work, in collaboration with states and other partners. UNHCR will take forward discussions on the Global Compact on Refugees, which is to be adopted in 2018. Renewed efforts will continue to identify and achieve solutions through the creation of a dedicated Division of Resilience and Solutions. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Adoption by states of the Global Compact on Refugees in 2018 would significantly reinforce the international protection framework, and refocus states’ attention and collective efforts on solutions. Root cause to forced displacement are often political and more comprehensive approaches need to be pursued through notably humanitarian-development-peace continuum.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    See the attached report for additional details.

    Keywords

    Displacement, People-centred approach

  • 3C
    End statelessness in the next decade

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • UNHCR commits to championing an end to statelessness by 2024 (the #IBelong Campaign).


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • UNHCR commits to supporting States in their efforts to end statelessness, including by providing technical advice and assistance to facilitate accession to the statelessness conventions and the reform of nationality laws to ensure consistency with international standards designed to prevent and reduce statelessness.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has continued to champion an end to statelessness by 2024 through its dedicated #IBelong Campaign. UNHCR organized a number of events throughout the year and promoted its achievements through quarterly Campaign Updates and regular media and social media releases. New videos featuring the stories of stateless individuals and communities were produced (see the #IBelong website).

    UNHCR issued a new flagship publication in 2017 calling attention to the plight of stateless minorities and setting out recommendations for solutions called “This is My Home: Stateless Minorities and their Search for Citizenship”.

    UNHCR strengthened its partnerships to address statelessness and the risk of statelessness associated with lack of civil documentation, including through the UNICEF-UNHCR led Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality and its cooperation with the World Bank’s ID4D initiative. This supports the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9, which calls for a legal identity for all.

    UNHCR produced a number of new tools and publications designed to support States’ efforts, including a Good Practice Paper on ensuring no child is born stateless and a Good Practice paper on birth registration for the prevention of statelessness.

    UNHCR provided technical and field support that contributed to law reforms by a number of countries that will help prevent and reduce statelessness (e.g. law reform in Sierra Leone to allow mothers to transmit nationality to children on an equal basis as fathers). It supported Burkina Faso and Luxembourg to accede to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The Office’s efforts also led to the adoption of two regional action plans to end statelessness (Banjul Plan of Action in West Africa and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Declaration and Plan of Action).

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework. UNHCR also separately regularly tracks achievements globally related to the Actions in the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness. UNHCR relies on State data with respect to numbers of persons acquiring nationality and tracks and reports on this annually.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Buy-in
    • Data and analysis
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Budgetary constraints restrict the level of UNHCR's engagement on statelessness in some countries. Data on statelessness also remains poor, which constitutes a challenge to effectively address these situations.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In 2018 UNHCR will continue to advocate with States and provide technical support in order to contribute to the changes needed to prevent and end statelessness. UNHCR will continue to strengthen its partnerships in this regard with States and others in the run-up to a Ministerial event on statelessness to be held in late 2019.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    States need to prioritize ending statelessness in their diplomacy with each other, and the UN must strengthen its prioritization of statelessness system-wide at both the headquarters and in the field. There has been strong progress in this regard since 2014.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • UNHCR and UNICEF have launched an innovative new Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality that is spurring the development of new joined-up strategies at the field level;
    • Improvements to global data on statelessness are being pursued with UNDESA, UNFPA, and the World Bank;
    • Support to States to implement SDG 16.9.

    Keywords

    Displacement

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to continue and tailor to crisis settings its support to the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and adolescent health to ensure safe delivery, emergency obstetric, ante natal and post-natal services in crisis settings, improved access to information, voluntary family planning, and basic items for safe delivery and sanitary supplies, necessary medical and psychological services for SGBV survivors as well as improved capacity of health systems and workers with immediate effect.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR commits to ensuring equal (50 per cent) and meaningful participation of women and adolescent girls in all decision-making processes and structures in forced displacement contexts by 2020.

    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • UNHCR commits to implementing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services as soon as possible after an emergency, by 2017.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued to strengthen its community-based approach to encourage female participation in decision-making activities. UNHCR's operations improved the participation of women in leadership/management structures in 29 refugee situations and three IDP situations, and maintained the existing level of participation in four refugee situations. 

    Access of refugees to comprehensive reproductive services was extended by establishing the Minimal Initial Services Package in existing refugee emergencies. Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) for refugees in Jordan, South Sudan and Dadaab, Kenya, was strengthened by more systematic application of high impact, low-cost interventions at facility and community levels, as well as adolescents' right to sexual and reproductive health in refugee situations in Rwanda and Tanzania through application of a standardized toolkit.  

    UNHCR facilitated a comprehensive gender audit of the thematic sessions leading up to the development of the Global Compact on Refugees. This resulted in increased inclusion of gender equality topics and language as well as series of reports and key recommendations. UNHCR also developed and ran its pilot global learning programme on gender equality, which targeted gender focal points across operations. UNHCR released the Gender Equality Promising Practices Report, which documents practices aimed at strengthening and advancing gender equality in the Syrian Refugee Response. The report is available at: https://www.unhcr.org/protection/women/5a3bab8a4/unhcr-gender-equality-promising-practices-syrian-refugees-middle-east-north.html. ;

    UNHCR as the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster co-lead participated in the revision of the camp management and coordination training materials, to enhance its gender-awareness focus and include concrete examples of gender-responsive programming in camp management. Two pilot training of trainers workshops were organized with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for participants from 9 country operations, including national authorities.

     

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework. These include indicators that have been declared Global Strategic Priority indicators, including indicators on women’s participation, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) services.

     

    UNHCR’s Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability annual report also provides an analysis of progress made on Age, Gender and Diversity considerations.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Insecurity and access problems impact implementation and national systems capacity in remote areas necessitate capacity-building activities which are sometimes costly. 

    Without the consistent collection of and the analysis of data, programming cannot effectively facilitate transformation. Social norms and attitudes towards women are the most difficult challenge to combat.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Further rollout out of maternal, newborn health and family planning capacity building activities; strengthening of maternal death audits to identify areas that need strengthening; expansion of MNCH projects to Niger, Cameroon and Chad.  In addition, UNHCR is in the process of updating its Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) Policy, which will be launched in 2018. Further gender equality learning programme will be rolled out.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Consistent sex, age and diversity data collection and analysis, reflected in programming.
    • Meaningful participation of women and girls through all stages of programming.
    • Implementing consistent gender equality awareness raising programmes with communities, as well as internally within institutions.
    • Regular investments in gender equality related programming, and its monitoring and review.
    • Increased leadership accountability with regard to gender equality programming.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    UNHCR Malaysia encouraged female leadership by including female leaders in UNHCR’s regular monthly leaders’ meetings, workshops and trainings on leadership and gender awareness. These efforts resulted in a 43.2% increase in the participation of female leaders, with 199 female refugees participating in management and decision-making roles.

     

    Keywords

    Displacement, Gender, People-centred approach

  • 3E
    Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • UNHCR will continue to support Education Cannot Wait - A Fund for Education in Emergencies and the Global Partnership for Education to support sustainable and inclusive education programmes in long-standing forced displacement crises, which face significant funding constraints after the initial emergency phase.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR will emphasize the goals of the 2030 Agenda and specifically SDG4 to achieve the inclusion of forcibly displaced persons in national education systems and plans, with a focus on leveraging partnerships and resources for inclusive, equitable and quality education.
    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has systematically worked on the commitment in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 to “ensure inclusive, equitable quality education for all”. The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) approach builds on this commitment by making the inclusion of refugee children and youth in the national education systems one of its core elements.

    Targeted strategies have increased refugee enrolment in primary school from 50% in 2016 to 61% in 2017, including 500,000 additional children in 12 countries in Africa, MENA and Asia.

    A multi-year youth education programme was launched targeting 230,000 refugee and host community youth in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Pakistan to increase secondary school enrolment, expand skills training and create pathways to higher education. Higher education scholarships were provided for 6,700 refugees in 50 countries of asylum, an increase of 44% since 2016.

    Innovative education programming was expanded in 20 countries, benefiting more than 150,000 refugees. This included interactive digital technologies for quality improvement in 35 Instant Network Schools in Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and DRC with over 62,000 refugees.

    UNHCR coordinated the inter-agency Accelerated Education Working Group in support of certified education for youth, launching consolidated guidance materials and a learning agenda. Together with the Global Partnership for Education, 22 country programmes were supported to develop and implement national education policies and programmes that ensure refugee and host community children can access quality education through the national system.

    UNHCR continued to work with the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Initiative. The High Commissioner sits on the High-Level Steering Group and a staff has been seconded to the ECW Secretariat to strengthen refugee education expertise.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    UNHCR monitors progress of its refugee education-related programmes through its Results Framework. Refugee education data and programming is analysed, challenges identified and programming adapted accordingly. National education sector plans are monitored for refugee inclusion in programmes and budgets. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    National and local systems must be strengthened for refugee inclusion, with all actors including NGOs supporting host communities and investing in systems rather than setting up separate programmes, drawing on host/refuge community engagement in decision-making.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    A strong focus will continue to be placed on expanding global, regional and national partnerships with education actors, the private sector and others to support host communities for refugee inclusion. Continued targeted interventions will increase enrolment and retention, supported by strengthened data management, and engagement with regional bodies on achieving milestones towards SDG 4 goals will be amplified.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Education financing/coordination needs greater coherence in addressing forced displacement in both humanitarian and development programming, linked with national systems strengthening and multi-year education sector plans. This should include preparedness and clear targeting in protracted settings, holistically addressing effective planning, teacher management, and responding to the needs of children and youth who have missed out on school.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    With the DFID-funded humanitarian education accelerator (HEA) programme, UNHCR and UNICEF are building evidence on efficiently scaling innovative refugee education projects. HEA supports 5 NGOs implementing projects in 9 countries to monitor and evaluate.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Education, Youth

  • 3G
    Address other groups or minorities in crisis settings

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR will contribute to the development and implementation of global guidelines on inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.
    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    • UNHCR will strengthen partnership with organizations of persons with disabilities.
    • Partnership
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) participated in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Task Team on inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action and contributed to the drafting of global guidelines on the topic.

    UNHCR focused on developing partnerships with organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) including:

    1. Engaging the International Disability Alliance (IDA), as focal point for the rights of persons with disabilities (PwD) in developing the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR); organizing briefings for disability actors to provide information on the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the GCR; organizing consultation between disability actors and the UNHCR CRRF team attended by permanent missions, UN agencies, IDA and civil society.
    2. Linking with DPOs, such as Inclusion International on sharing their knowledge on supported decision-making and mitigating the risk of financial exploitation for persons with intellectual disabilities; and maintaining regular contact with the European Disability Forum (EDF) to discuss the situation of displaced PwD in Europe.
    3. UNHCR operations implemented community- based initiatives to strengthen links with host community DPOs and accessibility for persons with disabilities to services.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    UNHCR’s annual Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) Accountability Report provides an analysis of progress made on AGD considerations including a special section on persons with disabilities highlighting progress made towards inclusion of persons with disabilities as well as promising practices to be replicated in UNHCR’s operations.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Specific expertise and human resources are needed to establish a baseline, ensure disability inclusion mainstreaming, ensure meaningful participation in the work of the Task Team including drafting of guidelines going forward, and capacitate the field to meaningfully engaging with DPOs. DPOs are under-resourced limiting capacity to engage in humanitarian crises.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR will continue to actively participate in the IASC Task Team, by notably supporting the drafting of the guidelines.

    UNHCR will launch an updated AGD policy including core actions on data disaggregation, accessible communication, meaningful participation, strengthening of effective and accessible feedback and response mechanisms.

     

    UNHCR will launch an e-learning programme on working with persons with disabilities for staff and partners.

     

     

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Resources need to be mobilized to build capacity on disability inclusion of humanitarian actors and for DPOs to be actively engaged in humanitarian response.

    There is a need focus more on facilitating empowerment of persons with disabilities by using the Washington Group questions for identifying persons with disabilities from displaced and host populations and bringing them together for joint advocacy for inclusive societies.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • UNHCR implemented community-based initiatives with local DPOs in a number of operations, advancing the rights of persons with disabilities;
    • inclusive school-clubs, sports activities, education resource centres;
    • capacity-building of displaced persons with disabilities associations;
    • outreach volunteers for persons with disabilities.

    Keywords

    Disability

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to facilitating faster, more efficient and accountable emergency response that is founded upon collaborative analysis and supports local and national actors and communities, through the prioritization of emergency preparedness actions.



    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • UNHCR commits to scale up cash assistance where appropriate, with the aim to double the amount of funds programmed for cash-based interventions in aid delivery by the end of 2020. UNHCR has developed and will continue to enhance its internal capacity and evidence base to identify the best delivery models with maximum costs effectiveness and impact, while mitigating the risks and ensuring coordination with other actors.
    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to reinforce national and local leadership and capacities in managing disaster and climate-related risks through strengthened preparedness and predictable response and recovery arrangements.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase investment in building community resilience as a critical first line of response, with the full and effective participation of women.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to ensure regional and global humanitarian assistance for natural disasters complements national and local efforts.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Cash-based programming

    In 2017, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivered USD 502 million in cash - a significant increase from the 2015 Grand Bargain baseline of USD 325 million. Reaching some 8 million vulnerable people in 94 countries, UNHCR used cash for a wide range of purposes, typically through multi-purpose cash, including for protection, shelter, health, education, basic needs and livelihoods.

    25 % of UNHCR's cash assistance was provided to meet specific protection objectives with a gender focus. Survivors and people at risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) received cash assistance, along with counselling and livelihoods support, in several countries.

    UNHCR has integrated use of cash in its existing guidance, skills, tools and processes. Over 3,000 UNHCR and partner staff have been trained. UNHCR’s corporate tool for the management of cash assistance CashAssist has been strengthened and is now available in operations. 

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    In 2017, UNHCR provided a total of USD 1.5 billion to 1,000 non-profit partners. Of which 46% or USD 699 million (USD 670 million in 2016) was allocated to 826 local and national partners, including USD 524 million (USD 491 million in 2016) to 648 local/national NGOs.  This is the highest number of local and national partners recorded as well as the highest funding allocations made by UNHCR to them, representing 21% of UNHCR's programme expenditures.

    The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and UNHCR’s revised policy on emergency preparedness and response issued in July 2017 highlight the key principle of partnership including with governments, civil society and local NGOs. This principles is activated at the early stages of emergency preparedness by engaging with local actors in mapping emergency capacities, identifying potential gaps and ensuring support to build and strengthen local capacity.

    People-centered approaches (feedback mechanisms, community engagement, etc)

    UNHCR applies a community-based approach to protecting people of concern. UNHCR’s efforts on collective approaches have included interagency communication systems (https://www.refugees-lebanon.org/; https://help.unhcr.org/), as well as participation in local level working groups, which have contributed to learning and best practice guidance (such as the Cox’s Bazar Communication with Communities (CwC) Working Group and the interagency PSEA Networks Chad).

    UNHCR operations improved the participation of women in leadership/management structures in 29 refugee situations and three IDP situations, and maintained the existing level of participation in four refugee situations.

    In line with UNHCR’s Age, Gender and Diversity Policy, UNHCR operations followed a community-based approach to encourage women’s participation in decision-making activities, which included setting up community-based protection networks to promote community participation. To strengthen the quality of engagement, UNHCR operations also provided various trainings to elected representatives and community volunteers on issues such as child protection, forced/early marriages and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

    Adherence to quality and accountability standards (e.g. CHS, SPHERE)

    UNHCR has been co-chairing the IASC Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Task Team meeting since 2014. UNHCR has endorsed the revised AAP commitments. The task team has focused on field support through a revitalization of the AAP help desk, integration of AAP/Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) into the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and support to issues raised from the field during the roll-out phase of the Inter-Agency Community-Based Complaints Mechanisms.

    The Task Team has continued to develop synergies with other IASC Subsidiary bodies and inter-agency initiatives such as the Grand Bargain Participation Revolution, the Communication and Community Engagement Initiative and the UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Working Group.

    Other-4A

    UNHCR is fully committed to translate the WHS Commitment to Action into practice and apply the new way of working. UNHCR is engaged both at global and country levels to contribute to the reflection. The High Commissioner is a member of the Joint Steering Committee to advance humanitarian and development collaboration and actively engages in the IASC Task Teams on Strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus. At country level, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework is a concrete initiative, representing one of the new ways of working. It foresees a whole-of-society approach, which goes beyond the UN, placing local actors at the centre. The CRRF draws on the contributions from all stakeholders, focuses on national Government ownership, aims to ensure sustainable humanitarian responses, and ensures linkages to development programming. UNHCR, through this process, is aiming to be a conveyor of a whole-of-society approach to work together to holistically approach the refugee issues.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework. UNHCR also reviews the use of the common cash delivery approach that maximizes efficiency and predictability (through economies of scale), ensures effective coordination and leverages the expertise of all partners.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Information management/tools
    • Preparedness
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The roll-out of cash management systems has been delayed.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Going forward, UNHCR will increase efforts to use cash to leverage financial inclusion and social protection, enhancing solutions and resilience of refugees and others of concern. This requires comprehensive approaches that are people centered and take an integrated view of assistance, resilience and protection from the onset of a response. 

    UNHCR’s AAP Officer has been engaged for 2018 to support operationalising AAP commitments in the field, and in organisational processes. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    A real investment in advocacy with governments and closer collaboration with development and private sector actors. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Through a common cash delivery approach, UNHCR is continuing to promote collaborative and unified approaches for cash transfer mechanisms. The Common Cash Facility in Jordan and the Greece Cash Alliance are two good examples. 

    Keywords

    Cash, Displacement, Gender, Humanitarian-development nexus, Local action, People-centred approach, PSEA, Quality and accountability standards

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to strengthening its analytical framework and data collection systems to provide data and information, subject to a robust and effective framework for data privacy, in a standardized, structured manner so that it is actionable by others and by UNHCR, informs protection and programme decisions, measures impact and tracks interventions.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    In 2017, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) gave guidance to field operations to implement its data protection policy in line with international standards for working with personal data. The Office also co-developed with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the Danish Refugee Council a Trust Framework for sharing relevant protection, human rights and humanitarian data and information and developed a data sharing matrix with the World Food Programme (WFP) to ensure joint assessment, planning and response.

    Corporate data collection and management systems (PRIMES and IDEAS) were deployed to support field operations and affected populations with their data needs from emergency response to solutions.  During the 3rd quarter of 2017, UNHCR opened its datasets in machine-readable formats (CSV and JSON) on https://data2.unhcr.org, including extracting data from graphs and pushing data out to other portals, such as the HDX. 

    UNHCR also began work on aligning its reporting to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. In 2017, UNHCR provided guidance to operations on how to effectively engage in joint needs assessment, accompanied by analytical framework to support needs analysis, which was developed with OCHA and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) (Grand Bargain commitment).

    UNHCR contributed to international processes and discussions aimed at strengthening efforts to reduce disaster and climate-related risks. UNHCR contributed as a core member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Task Force on displacement to develop recommendations on integrated approaches to avert, minimize and address displacement related to climate change, and contributed to development of practical guidance on disaster displacement and disaster risk reduction (DRR).

    In 2017, UNHCR jointly developed, together with Georgetown University and IOM, “A toolbox: Planning Relocations to Protect People from Disasters and Environmental Change" , aimed at operationalizing guidance on planned relocation in the context of climate change.

     

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Progress is assessed through annual reporting on indicators in UNHCR’s Results Framework. UNHCR also reports regularly on its activities in relation to climate change and disaster-related displacement through the Platform on Disaster Displacement and the UNFCCC Task Force on Displacement.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Preparedness
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Given UNHCR is not specifically mandated nor resourced to undertake disaster risk reduction, it has limited scope to engage operationally in this area. However, drawing on its experience in responding and seeking to prevent displacement, the organization seeks to contribute to processes around disaster risk reduction where its expertise is relevant.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR and the World Bank will establish a joint data centre to increase level and quality of socio-economic data on refugees, other displaced populations and host communities.

    UNHCR will continue working to support the implementation of Sendai Framework where relevant for disaster displacement, including by finalizing and disseminating practical guidance, in the form of the ‘Words into Action Practical Guidance on disaster displacement and DRR.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Further coordination, collaboration and pooling of expertise among states, international and national actors in the area of disaster risk reduction, notably as regards displacement and ways to limit or mitigate its negative effects.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The work of the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) and UNFCCC Task Force on Displacement exemplify the added benefit of inter-state and inter-agency coordination and collaboration on responses and tools in the context of climate and disaster-related displacement. Such structures have further potential to address continuing and newly-emerging challenges in this field.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Quality and accountability standards

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to pursuing the institutional changes needed to facilitate multi-year protection and solutions strategies and programming in partnership with humanitarian and development actors, as well as to building a robust capacity to engage effectively with development actors.

    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • UNHCR commits to support the Global Humanitarian Lab (GHL) to promote bottom-up innovation and increase collaboration across the humanitarian sector and partners in order to incubate, make and accelerate innovation to meet and reduce humanitarian needs, in particular those of forcibly displaced persons.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • UNHCR commits to the policy commitments under the Urban Crisis Charter developed by the Global Alliance for Urban Crisis. UNHCR will advocate for the principles outlined in the Charter and aim to transform them into action. UNHCR will also contribute to the Action Plan of the Global Alliance in collaboration with partners.


    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • UNHCR supports the Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation (GAHI) to accelerate transformative improvements for humanitarian action by enabling and creating a shared space for the development, use, and scaling-up of innovative tools, approaches, and partnerships, for the global community to more effectively meet humanitarian needs.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    Progress on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) commitment to move to multi-year multi-partner (MYMP) planning continued. In 2017, 16 additional operations (Algeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Rwanda, Northern Europe and Ukraine) developed MYMP protection and solutions strategies for the next three to five years, bringing the total number of operations with longer-term strategies to 22.

    The strategies will support operations in maintaining a longer-term focus on achieving solutions, while ensuring that immediate needs are addressed, the rights of people of concern are protected and host communities are supported. The strategies will also help to establish and strengthen linkages between humanitarian, development and peace-building actors. They can facilitate the application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework's (CRRF) whole-of-society approach and support UNHCR's engagement in national development planning, as well as inputs to multi-year planning conducted by other partners (Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs), United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAFs)). 

    Furthermore, UNHCR issued 5 regional refugee response plans, covering 19 countries, and created in partnership with governments, UN agencies, NGOs and local first responders.

    Other-4C

    UNHCR, the Global Shelter Cluster, and the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster have engaged with the Global Alliance for Urban Crises in relation to improving coordination and response in urban areas. Case studies of urban response have been collected by the Global Shelter Cluster highlighting good practices and lessons learned. Improved coordination modalities for urban areas are being defined and a pilot will be undertaken to test them.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Institutionalizing a MYMP approach requires a reform of the organization’s policies, systems and tools. It will be informed by the experiences of and lessons learned from the 22 operations, as well as by real-time learning from the roll-out of the CRRF.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Institutionalizing a MYMP approach requires a reform of the organization’s policies, systems and tools. Hence, UNHCR has adapted the timeframe for full introduction of a MYMP approach from 2020 to 2022, to align with the revision of its Results-Based Management system. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    The 22 MYMP operations are translating their strategies into 2018/19 operations' plans. Lessons Learned as well as real-time learning from the roll-out of the CRRF are being collected and analyzed to inform expansion and institutionalization.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Continued engagement with a broad range of partners, donors and people of concern to UNHCR will be a priority in adapting systems in order to contribute more effectively to collective outcomes.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Good practices and Lessons Learned are collected as of 2018. 

    Keywords

    Humanitarian-development nexus, Urban

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to expand its investment in institutional capacity building of national partners, and to support effective emergency preparedness and response by engaging proactively with first responders at the local level as leaders and equal partners and fostering their participation in the coordination mechanisms.
    • Capacity
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Direct funding to national/local actors

    In 2017, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) disbursed USD 1.5 billion to over 1,000 partners, of which USD 699 million was provided to 826 local and national partners, including USD 524 million (USD 491 million in 2016) to 648 local/national NGOs. This is the highest number of local and national partners recorded as well as the highest funding allocations made by UNHCR to them. These figures are provisional pending closure of the 2017 accounts.

    Addressing blockages/challenges to direct investments at the national/local level

    In 2017, UNHCR actively pursued in exploring approaches to enhance partnership management processes, introducing user-friendly policies and promote the engagement of local and national NGO partners. These efforts have led to the increased number of local and national NGOs participating in UNHCR's operations and the funds entrusted to them, reaching 21% of UNHCR’s annual programme expenditure. 

    The UNHCR Partner Portal was expanded to reach out to prospective partners, which enabled the pool of registered NGO partners to almost double from its 2015 level (1,500 NGOs). The portal has also inspired the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR to develop a common UN Partner Portal, which allows for the converging of respective processes and providing a single gateway for partners, harmonized due diligence assessments, reducing burden on partners and improving efficiencies.

    Other-5A

    The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and UNHCR’s revised policy on emergency preparedness and response issued in July 2017 highlight the key principle of partnership including with governments, civil society and local NGOs. This principle is activated at the early stages of emergency preparedness by engaging with local actors in mapping emergency capacities, identifying potential gaps and ensuring support to build and strengthen local capacity.

    UNHCR, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) have created a CRRF reference group with NGO networks from all regions. NGOs have been instrumental in implementing the CRRF at the grassroots level and in ensuring that the voices of refugees and local stakeholders are heard and that their views are reflected in all activities. UNHCR’s global guidelines on emergency preparedness and contingency planning require operations to develop refugee emergency preparedness action plans in conjunction with local, national and international partners and other stakeholders. To support that effort, UNHCR fielded 10 advanced preparedness missions in 2017.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: UNHCR's HALEP tool.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The Grand Bargain workstreams offer the multi-stakeholder platform to measure progress against an agreed-upon baseline. 

    With respect to preparedness, UNHCR uses the High Alert List of Emergency Preparedness (HALEP). In 2017 81% of refugee contingency plans included governments and 70% included local or national NGOs.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • UNHCR and ICVA have prepared a partner survey to identify additional areas of harmonization in the area of the partnership agreements. The outcomes will be used for further harmonization work.
    • In April 2018, there will be a field workshop targeting NGOs that are not familiar with the UNHCR portal which the UN common partner portal has been built upon. The latter is being tested to become fully functional in the fourth quarter of the year. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • Development of a common UN Partner Portal by UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP.
    • HALEP tool
    • Establishment of reference groups

    Keywords

    Local action

  • 5B
    Invest according to risk

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to invest in risk management, preparedness and crisis prevention capacity to build the resilience of vulnerable and affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) updated its risk system tools : fraud risk assessments were integrated in the Corporate Risk Register (CRR), and tracking risks related to Cash Based Interventions (CBI) was introduced. UNHCR country operations and Headquarters divisions completed their annual risk reviews.

    UNHCR also continued to build staff capacity on enterprise risk management, with over 1,300 staff having completed an e-learning programme. 

    During the 68th session of UNHCR's Executive Committee session in October 2017, the High Commissioner announced UNHCR's "Risk Management 2.0" initiative to strengthen integrity, and address root causes of corruption and fraud. Risk Management 2.0 is designed to bring about change to the organisation, so that strategic planning and decision making are consistently informed by operational and management risks.  Effectiveness will be enhanced as challenges and options are identified in a more systematic manner to highlight gaps and best practices on an organizational level.  The objective is for fraud, corruption, exploitation and abuse to be identified earlier and stopped. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Information management/tools
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Further development of the ERM framework and reporting tools is needed to improve risk management organisation-wide and to meet evolving organisational needs.  
     

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    UNHCR has launched the ‘Risk Management 2.0 initiative to strengthen integrity, and address root causes of corruption and fraud.  This initiative will lead to improved, more risk-informed management of selected operations and enhance the impact of UNHCR programmes and the organization’s credibility and reputation.  It will be implemented over a period of three years (2018-2020). It has been piloted in Kenya and Uganda and will be rolled in 12 operations over the coming months.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Benchmarking of Risk Management processes and tools between agencies;
    • Regular best practice sharing;
    • Strengthening the network of risk management practitioners.
       

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • Announcement of Risk Management 2.0 initiative

    Keywords

    Quality and accountability standards

  • 5D
    Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to enable coherent financing that avoids fragmentation by supporting collective outcomes over multiple years, supporting those with demonstrated comparative advantage to deliver in context.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) relies on early, predictable and unrestricted donor funding to provide uninterrupted protection and assistance to populations of concern. The Office encourages donors to consider the use of unearmarked funding, which allows UNHCR to respond quickly to emerging challenges and also to invest in innovation. 

    In 2017, UNHCR received USD 589 million in unearmarked funding, of which USD 382 million was from governmental donors, and USD 207 million from the private sector. This compares favourably to 2016’s level of USD 562.6 million, with a percentage of unearmarked funding equivalent to 15% in 2017, up from 14% in 2016. 

    Regarding reporting, all weekly funding updates for operations or situations published on Global Focus include information on all donors providing unearmarked funding (information is made available both for UNHCR operations and external audiences). UNHCR also produced an expanded report on the use of its unearmarked funding in 2016. This was issued in mid-2017, and gave much greater detail on the use of unearmarked funding. Expanded visibility was given to donors, and greater analysis included the key role of donors from the private sector who give significant amounts of unearmarked funding. The information provided in the annual 2016 Global Report also included expanded analysis of unearmarked funding, including greater acknowledgment of unearmarked funding coming from the private sector.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    The Office will produce a report on the use of unearmarked funding in 2017, with an intention to link the publication of that report more closely to the issuance of the 2017 Global Report. UNHCR will also continue improving the Global Focus portal to provide greater visibility to donors providing unearmarked funding, and the 2017 Global Report will contain relevant analysis and visibility.

     

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    The report on use of unearmarked funding in 2016 received very good feedback, including very positive and appreciative feedback from UNHCR’s six National Partners that conduct private sector fundraising.

    Keywords

    Quality and accountability standards

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • UNHCR commits to minimize the links in the humanitarian funding chain and transfer at least 25 per cent of its programme expenditures to the national first responders by the end of 2020.  



    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • UNHCR has undergone a decade of reforms to reduce the share of management costs and to maximize the proportion of humanitarian funding for direct assistance to beneficiaries. UNHCR commits to further reduce the costs of procurement and logistics by 10 per cent by the end of 2020 through the use of shared services with partner agencies.
    • Operational
    • Invest in Humanity
    • UNHCR subscribes to the collective commitments under the Grand Bargain, including inter alia:
      - To publish open data allowing traceability of donors' funding throughout the transaction chain;
      - To use technology and innovation, including digital platforms, green technology and biometrics to reduce the costs of delivering assistance;
      - To undertake coordinated joint needs assessment and continue sharing evidence-based needs assessment data;
      - To continue to strengthen the engagement with and accountability to the communities affected by crises;
      - To harmonize and simplify reporting requirements by the end of 2018.
    • Policy
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    For detailed information on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

    The second phase of the “Collaborative Procurement of High-Value Commodities” (completed in 2016) took place from May to July 2017, with UNHCR taking the lead on behalf of the UN Procurement Network which covers 95% of the overall UN procurement. In phase II, the prioritized categories identified for further analysis were; IT Hardware, Generators, Advisory and Management Consultancy Services. The phase II concluded that arbitrage (i.e. use of the best contract rates) and volume discount would yield the greatest saving. 

    In the MENA region more than 20 Long Term Agreements established by UNHCR are made available to other UN agencies; e.g. for hotel services, financial service provision, translation, customs clearance, security, stationery; and our sister agencies reciprocate.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    For detailed information on UNHCR's follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

     

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    For detailed information on UNHCR's follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    For detailed information on UNHCR's follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

    A collaborative procurement project for IT hardware under a clear opt-in/opt-out modality will be undertaken.  In parallel, UNHCR will explore with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) the potential for a bilateral collaborative procurement on tents.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    For detailed information on UNHCR's follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    For detailed information on UNHCR's follow-up to the Grand Bargain commitments, see attached document.

    Keywords

    Quality and accountability standards

Attachments

  • WHS Commitments Attachments
    Transformation - 3A | Displacement, People-centred approach