Joint Panel-EU event on durable solutions stresses the need to break silos across nexus and foster common understanding

Representatives of Member States, the European Commission, UN agencies and NGOs reflected on the international community’s current approach in addressing internal displacement in a virtual event on “Supporting Nationally Owned Durable Solutions Processes” on February 10. Co-hosted by the European Union and the Secretariat of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement, the event saw participants reiterating the need for actors to work in a coordinated manner across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus, break silos and foster a common understanding of national contexts.

“With millions of people stuck in protracted internal displacement around the world, the Panel believes that the issue of solutions warrants our highest attention,” said Panel Co-chair Federica Mogherini in her opening remarks. She also underlined that the ideas, conclusions and recommendations from this meeting will be vital in informing the Panel’s on-going analysis.

In the event, representatives from Somalia and Haiti shared their respective country approaches and experiences. Zahra Abdi, Head of Durable Solutions Unit at the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development of Somalia, called attention to the recent finalization of Somalia’s first ever national durable solutions strategy. Clément Bélizaire, Director of the Unit for Construction of Housing and Public Buildings of Haiti, highlighted the importance of understanding contexts, cautioning against a copy-and-paste approach to solutions.
 

While positive developments have been made over the past twenty years, panelists underscored strongly the need to systematize the work of humanitarian, development and peace actors across the nexus.

“We have to break silos, come together in international solidarity and think from the perspectives of internally displaced persons,” stressed Michael Koehler, Deputy Director-General at the EU Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation.

“It is important to invest in a common understanding and narrative of the national needs and realities,” said Aude Galli, Regional Manager at the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS). Xavier Devictor, Practice Manager at the World Bank, underlined the need for actors to leverage their comparative advantage and work in a complementary manner.

As he closed the event, Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General at the EU Directorate-General for International Partnerships, concluded: “As today’s event have clearly revealed, we can only effectively tackle forced displacement jointly as it is a humanitarian, development, political challenge alike”.