Region recommits to refugee protection, undecided on burden sharing

A regional conference on refugees ended on Wednesday, with governments recommitting themselves to refugee protection, but failing to adopt the principle of "safe havens" and agree on a solution to burden sharing in protracted refugee situations. In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, held in the Tanzanian commercial city of Dar es Salaam, the region reconfirmed its commitment to preserving the safety and security of refugees, while providing adequate protection and aid. However, sources close to the talks said that there was a divergence of views over the Tanzanian-proposed policy of introducing safe havens in conflict-ridden countries as a way of averting large-scale refugee movements. In their statement, the states agreed to "keep open the debate" on safe havens as a possible means of protecting civilians in situations of armed conflict "in accordance with the norms of humanitarian law". Tanzanian Minister for Home Affairs Omar Ramadhani Mapuri told IRIN on Thursday that it was the first time the concept had been introduced formally, so "other states needed more time to analyse the idea". But the concept received a lukewarm reception from many participants. "Most of the states, including the African Union, spoke against the idea," Dr Bonaventura Rutinwa, a law lecturer and an expert in forced migration who presided over some of the discussions, told IRIN. "I pointed out that legally it can be done, but practically, in terms of protecting the refugees, it has never really worked," he added. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the "door should not be shut on the debate" but also expressed caution over the practicalities of implementing such a policy. "Many people, including UNHCR, sympathise with Tanzania because being a host for over seven years becomes a problem and a lack of meaningful progress in regional peace processes exacerbates the problem," Chrysantus Ache, UNHCR's representative in Tanzania, said. "But, without guarantees of safety in the countries of conflict, safe havens are difficult to manage," he said. "Where there is the political will, it can work, but we cannot, in all honesty, support them because we cannot guarantee people's safety." The conference also recommended that states "should engage in developing special multilateral agreements that would strengthen solidarity and burden sharing agreements, thereby ensuring that resources for refugee protection and solutions are available on a more equitable, reliable and predictable basis". Sources at the conference said that one scheme that was considered a viable solution was the Zambian initiative, whereby refugees are encouraged to become economic players in the host country, therefore reducing the burden on the host. The region recommended that "serious consideration be given to developing comprehensive and integrated strategies that encourage the attainment of refugee self sufficiency pending the identification of the appropriate durable solution." Leading up to the meeting, Tanzania had also called for a review of the existing refugee conventions, which it said were "outdated". But, in their recommendations, the states declared that they "should enhance the existing process of strengthening the implementation of the 1951 UN Convention, the 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Convention" in order to "address the contemporary challenges of refugee protection in an effective, equitable and acceptable manner". During the three-day meeting, representatives from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, UNHCR and the AU debated the challenges of refugee protection in Africa. In particular, they discussed the Agenda for Protection, causes of refugee movements, preserving safety and security of refugees and host communities, protracted refugees situations and encouraging self-sufficiency pending durable solutions and international solidarity and burden sharing mechanisms. Despite the differences, Ache said that meeting had served as useful mechanism for promoting more of an understanding between governments and their positions on the protection of refugees. "The conclusion and the recommendations show the governments' determination to continue to protect refugees. The challenge is now to put these recommendations into action," he said.