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8083rd Security Council Meeting: Briefing by UNHCR
Security Council Members Call for Adequate Funding, Greater Capacity for Agency
The number of forcibly displaced people around the world was now approaching 66 million, and that sharp rise reflected the weakness of international cooperation in responding to the crisis, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told the Security Council today.
High Commissioner Filippo Grandi pointed out that whereas many refugee‑hosting countries — particularly those adjacent to conflict zones — kept their borders open, certain others — often the wealthy States least affected by refugee flows — had closed their borders, restricting access to asylum and deterring entry.
He went on to stress that a full response to the prevailing massive displacement could only be achieved through action to restore security, resolve conflict and build peace. Recalling that the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants, adopted in 2016, called for comprehensive responses to refugee flows, he noted that important steps had been taken. However, it was necessary to take early action to address the causes of conflict and to avoid deepening the displacement crises.
Complex migratory movements in fragile, unstable situations must also be addressed, he continued, noting that refugees and migrants continued to face grave exploitation and abuse along the Central Mediterranean route to Europe. Strong, collective action was needed to tackle the abuses perpetrated by traffickers, he said, emphasizing the importance of sustained protection while solutions were pursued.
Millions of severely traumatized children, deprived of education and their lives blighted by atrocities, faced an uncertain future, he said. Thousands of people were stranded at borders, and women struggled to care for their children in makeshift shelters, their partners dead or missing. Stressing the power of international cooperation to bring about real change and avoid a repeat of the recent massive outflows, he said it ultimately came down to political will. “We — they, the uprooted people — are counting on your leadership to help deliver those solutions,” he said.
Vincenzo Amendola, Italy’s Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Council President for November, said the refugee crisis required an urgent, coherent and collective response as well as preventive action whenever possible. “We cannot close our eyes in front of human suffering,” he emphasized. “We cannot hide its tragic consequences on future generations.” The approach to human mobility must shift from an emergency approach to a long‑term perspective, he said. Capacity must be built to tackle the root causes of the refugee crisis, and hope and dignity restored to the most vulnerable segments of populations around the world, particularly young people.
Council members pointed to such causes of forcibly displacement as conflict, terrorism, gang violence, poverty and the consequences of climate change and natural disasters. They stressed that preventing or settling conflicts addressing their root causes was the best way to stem the flow of refugees and forcibly displaced persons. All Member States should fulfil their obligations to refugees, they said, calling for enhanced support for host countries, and pointing out that they were mostly developing States with limited resources.
Japan’s representative emphasized that lasting solutions could not be achieved solely through emergency humanitarian assistance, because it was necessary to support refugee self-reliance for when the time came for them to decide on repatriation or resettlement.
The Russian Federation’s representative said responsibility for the refugee flows rested with those States that had intervened in the Middle East and Africa. Stressing the importance of preventing terrorist infiltration, he said that his country hosted many refugees and forced migrants, including about 1 million Ukrainians.
Several speakers addressed the issue of Rohingya refugees, hailing Bangladesh for its handling of that situation. China’s representative urged patience, saying the international community should allow the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to solve the problem through bilateral cooperation.
Council members expressed their deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the “cowardly and unconscionable” terrorist attack in New York City on 31 October, offering their sympathy to the people and Governments of the United States, Argentina and Belgium. The Council observed a moment of silence for the victims.
Also speaking today were representatives of Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, United States, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Uruguay, Egypt and Senegal.
The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 12:24 p.m.
