Nations agree to protect people displaced by disasters

MANILA, Philippines – An average of 26 million people per year were displaced due to disasters and climate change-related events.

Aiming to address this problem, the Swiss-Norwegian Nansen Initiative presented a protection agenda during a Global Consultation in Geneva last October 12 and 13. More than 100 governments affirmed their support for the Protection Agenda.

Launched 2012, the Nansen Initiative is a state-led consultation process that aims to build consensus on a protection agenda that addresses the needs of displaced people across borders due to disasters and the effects of climate change.

The global consultation brought together more than 350 officials, ministers, and representatives from the academe, international and non-governmental organizations.

According to Nansen Initiative, disasters forced 184 million people to leave their homes between 2008 and 2014. (READ: Far more displaced by disasters than conflict – study)

As one of the biggest humanitarian challenges in the 21^st century, Professor Walter Kaelin, Envoy of the Chairmanship of the Nansen Initiative, said that the endorsement of the protection agenda shows that “states are ready to work together to tackle current and future disaster displacement challenge.” (READ: ASEAN leaders forge action points for PDDs)

Protection Agenda

The gathering in Geneva introduced the Protection Agenda, a non-binding text that consolidated identified effective practices in disaster risk reduction by states and regional organizations.

It reflected research conducted by the Nansen Initiative, contributions from partners and inputs from relevant policy initiatives, particularly the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and the United Nations’ climate change negotiations. (READ: PH leads call for more ambitious climate change goal)

The Protection Agenda is a 45-page document highlighting action towards disaster displacement. It aims to address this through:

• Conceptualizing a comprehensive approach to disaster displacement that primarily focuses on protecting cross-border displaced persons
• Compiling a broad set of effective practices that could be used by States and other actors to ensure effective future responses to cross-border displacement
• Highlighting  the need to bring together and link multiple policies and action areas to address displacement and its root causes, calls for increased collaboration of actors
• Identifying three priority areas for enhanced State actions, (sub-)regional organizations, international community, civil societies, local communities and affected populations

“We cannot ignore the issues of migration and need to bring them out from the shadows of the climate change and disaster risk reduction debate,” argued Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna. “Failing to do so would be like burying our heads in the sand during the high tides.”

Nexus between climate and displacement was also echoed by the delegates. Two months left before the Conference of Parties in Paris, the latest version of the draft still does not include any references to the climate-induced human mobility.

“It is time to act and turn theory into action and address cross-border disaster-displacement,” the Envoy of the Nansen Initiative said. “We need to ensure that the issue is included in the Paris agreement. We cannot miss it,” he emphasized. – with Aika Rey/Rappler.com