Tackling the Realities of Protracted Displacement: Case Studies on What’s Working and Where We Can Do Better

UNHCR is leading the preparation of the first Global Compact on Refugees incorporating the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), which aims to foster greater inclusion of refugees in host communities, ease pressure on host countries, expand resettlement in third countries, and foster conditions for voluntary returns. At the same time, the Bank “has emerged as a new and catalytic actor and partner to UNHCR” and through the Global Concessional Financing Facility and IDA18 regional sub-window for refugees and host communities, the Bank is providing “critical leadership, expertise, and multi-year financing to forge more sustainable solutions”. This policy brief assesses progress of the CRRF and Bank financing to support refugees and host communities, focusing on initial efforts in Ethiopia, Uganda and Jordan. For each country, the policy brief covers the displacement context, policy commitments and financing, progress on policies and programs, and recommendations for governments, the Bank, UNHCR, and other stakeholders. The authors identify several common implementation issues including: (a) fragmentation of governance structures; (b) lack of alignment of goals, policy changes, program plans, and resources; and (c) inadequate mechanisms to hold all actors to account for shared outcomes. The authors make the following recommendations to address these challenges: (i) define shared outcomes and targets at the global and country levels to enable systematic evaluation of results, and support governments and their partners to improve data collection and analysis; (ii) engage a wide range of stakeholders through improved partnership and coordination models; (iii) conduct joint analysis and planning to align approaches, along with explicit exchanges of knowledge and expertise (e.g. recognizing the expertise of the Bank in working with governments to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable, and UNHCR’s and NGOs’ expertise in refugee status and rights); and (iv) put in place clear accountability mechanisms.