Canadian support for durable solutions in protracted refugee situations

Resolution number
6
Whereas
  1. The length of protracted refugee situations is increasing, leading to impoverishment and deprivation of the refugees in these camps and urban settings;
  2. Canada is committed to working towards finding durable solutions for persons in protracted refugee situations including repatriation, local integration and resettlement;
  3. All refugees will benefit from education and skills training made available before persons leave the camps, especially but not exclusively those being resettled;
  4. The CCR and more recently the UNHCR have expressed to the government of Canada their interest in engaging Canadian NGOs in resettlement activities abroad, including those with an integration focus, recognizing the benefits to the refugees and to the receiving communities;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Request to the Government of Canada, especially CIDA and CIC, to work with NGOs to develop a Canadian strategy to address protracted refugee situations that uses all tools at Canada’s disposal including funding for preventative health treatment, job skills training, health treatment, education etc. in refugee camps and urban settings;
  2. Urge the Government of Canada to amend the Terms and Conditions of various instruments to allow for more flexibility and responsiveness in programming, including the flexibility to fund integration programming overseas;
  3. Request the Government of Canada that Canada’s contributions to the World Bank include instructions that poverty reduction strategy papers should include strategies to help reduce poverty within refugee populations.
Subject
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement