Joint Statement on behalf of GUAM
41st session of the UN Human Rights Council
Agenda item 3
Clustered ID with SR on the human rights of IDPs and SR on extreme poverty
June 28, 2019
This statement is delivered on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) member states, namely Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova, Georgia and my own country, Ukraine.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank both Special Rapporteurs. This statement is focused on IDPs.
The member states of GUAM share the growing concern of the international community related to the worrying increase in internal displacement in many regions of the world.
As a reflection of an exacerbating instability of global security, in terms of both natural disasters and conflicts, this threatening trend results in dire consequences for human rights in all their scope and requires all-encompassing solutions.
In this context, we welcome the multi-regional and multi-stakeholder approach pursued by the Special Rapporteur in implementation of her initiatives. We believe that the newly undertaken efforts, particularly the GP 20 Action Plan for Advancing Prevention, Protection and Solutions for IDPs, open favorable opportunities for galvanizing the attention in terms of addressing protracted internal displacement and driving durable solutions for IDPs.
We also reaffirm our support for the proposal to establish a high-level panel on internal displacement as a timely initiative for improving the international community’s approach to addressing IDPs situations.
Forced displacement remains a critical issue facing GUAM member states as close to 3 million of their citizens were forced to flee their homes, mainly as a result of conflict situations.
The states of GUAM remain strongly committed to comprehensive national policies aimed at addressing social, economic and humanitarian needs of IDPs and establishing conditions conducive to realization of the right of IDPs to return to their native lands in safety and dignity.
Meanwhile, we are resolute in a conviction that the root causes of internal displacement in our region and beyond are to be tackled through strict adherence to fundamental principles of international law, namely respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders. In this regard, we emphasize the critical significance of existing negotiation formats, which the GUAM member-states are involved in, and the need to enhance their efficiency.
We count on the international partners and institutions, including the UN bodies and mechanisms, to take an active part in addressing the challenge of internal displacement and its causes in our region. At the same time, we stand ready to engage with any meaningful initiative aimed at countering the problem on a global scale.