Cairo, Egypt – Acting in its capacity as the Executive Secretariat of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, CCCPA convened a series of workshops focusing on the challenges, opportunities and durable solutions to forced displacement for sustaining peace in Africa, on 14 and 15 December 2021. The series comes as part of the preparatory process for the Third Edition of the Aswan Forum, as well as in the context of the implementation of the conclusions of its Second Edition, particularly with regards to advancing the humanitarian, development and peace nexus (HDPN).
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Director-General of CCCPA and Executive Director of the Aswan Forum Secretariat, stated that “displacement due to climate-related drivers is on the rise across the African continent, and it is estimated that by 2050, climate change could force 216 million people out of their homes--85.7 million of which are in sub-Saharan Africa--especially as protracted conflicts across the continent continue to leave behind increasing numbers of displaced populations.”
Ambassador Neveen El-Husseiny, Deputy Assistant Minister for Migration, Refugees, and Combatting Human Trafficking at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the opening session, highlighting the magnitude of the challenge of force displacement and the importance of developing partnerships to tackle it.
In his remarks, Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided an overview of Egypt’s preparations to host COP27, as well as highlighting African priorities in climate change discussions, in particular adequate financing and adaptation, and the importance of addressing climate-induced forced displacement in a more integrated and holistic manner.
The first workshop, titled “The Climate-Displacement Nexus in Africa: Implications for Sustainable Peace and Development”, discussed the policy challenges at the national and regional levels with regards to the prevention and management of climate-induced forced displacement in Africa. The workshop also identified entry points for advancing holistic responses to climate-induced displacement.
The discussions reiterated the importance of addressing the root drivers and underlying causes of climate-induced displacement, including livelihood security, economic opportunities, social capital, and safety nets, as well as strengthening response mechanisms and preparedness plans. Moreover, discussions shed light on the imperative to deal with climate-related risks in a preventive and anticipatory manner, and to enhance partnership and coordination across the climate, migration and peacebuilding communities to advance holistic and inclusive responses.
The second workshop, titled “Integrating Forced Displacement in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Efforts”, discussed strategies for integrating displaced populations in peace processes in conflict-affected African countries. It also analyzed the regional and global frameworks and approaches to supplementing PCRD efforts with integrated, coordinated humanitarian measures in support of the forcibly displaced, as well as operationalizing the HDPN. Furthermore, it addressed the commitments of the international community regarding responsibility and burden-sharing.
Participants stressed the importance of empowering local communities and donors’ coordination towards supporting displaced populations in post-conflict settings. While the unpredictability of protracted conflicts was highlighted as a main challenge facing effective responses, the anticipated operationalization of the African Humanitarian Agency was noted-- considering the important role it will play in supporting populations in vulnerable situations. Recommendations included (i) ending the separation between humanitarian and development interventions; (ii) tackling root causes of conflict and fragility; (iii) promotion of social cohesion; (iv) investing in early warning systems; and (v) building the capacities of national institutions.
The workshops brought together government officials from the Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan and South Sudan. They also included representatives from the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, the International Commission for the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and non-governmental organizations including the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center and Solar Sisters. A number of experts and academics also participated in the event.The first workshop comes within the framework of the preparatory process of the third edition of the Aswan Forum--whose partners include the Government of Japan and the African Development Bank, funded through UNDP. While the second workshop comes as part of the CCCPA project “Enhancing Peace, Security, and Stability in Africa VII”, funded by the Government of Japan through UNDP.
