Statement by India at the first round of UNHCR formal consultations on the Global Compact on Refugees – Agenda item 3, delivered by Dr. Sadre Alam, First Secretary

(Geneva, Switzerland, 14 February 2018)

Thank you Madam Chair.

This is in continuation of our earlier intervention.

2. We, undoubtedly, have before us a historic opportunity, to turn our collective commitments into actions through the Global Compact on Refugees. A genuine follow-up and review process is central to this.

3. In this regard, it may be worth mentioning that Section V, Paras 88 and 89, of the New York Declaration envisages two mechanisms for follow up and review in the context of refugees - First, Periodic assessments of the progress made by Member States and the UN in implementing the commitments made in the declaration to be provided by the UN Secretary General to General Assembly with reference, as appropriate to SDGs and Second, the Annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to the General Assembly.

4. In the same breadth it recognises the need for significant financial and programme support to host countries and communities affected by large movements of refugees.

5. Bearing this in mind among other things, we wish to suggest the following at this stage:

The follow-up and review process to the Global Compact on Refugees should keep in perspective the four overall objectives mentioned in Para 18 of the CRRF and Para 1 of the Global Compact. Such a process should broadly focus on the following -

Follow up of all kinds of support provided to host countries to ease their burden, enhance their capacities and foster refugee self-reliance

Follow up on the expansion of third country solutions and complementary pathways to share the refugee burden and responsibility

Follow up on the commitments of Donors to share burden and responsibility and the ‘Grand Bargain’ commitments endorsed by UNHCR at the WHS 2016

Follow up of the support provided to Countries of origin and of their commitments to share responsibility, address the root causes and find durable solutions for voluntary return of refugees in safety and dignity

6. The follow up and review process of the Compact should, generally speaking, aim at sharing of experiences, best practices, identifying the difficulties faced in its implementation and addressing them in a manner that is, consensual, apolitical, and respectful of State sovereignty and in the spirit of international cooperation and solidarity. It should be based on voluntary inputs from States and thematic in nature, along the SDGs.

7. The development of any set of indicators for follow-up must only be through an inclusive process of consultation with Member States and by consensus. We do not support creation of any additional mechanism for follow-up and review than what already exists.

8. Further, we wish to reiterate that all such follow-up and review must be fully cognizant of the differences in rights and obligations of those party to the refugee instruments and those who are not.

9. In this backdrop, we look forward to a more detailed discussion on the issue of follow-up and review of the Compact through a constructive engagement.

Thank you.

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