EVALUATION OF UNHCR-LED INITIATIVES TO END STATELESSNESS – FINAL REPORT – VOLUME I
Recommended actions
Responsible
consider conducting qualitative ‘listening’ studies to better capture these experiences
and bring them out of the shadows.
4
For the remainder of the campaign, UNHCR should invest in shifting from
fragmented bilateral partnerships towards building a lasting multistakeholder coalition to end statelessness, with shared ownership and
responsibilities, that is replicable at regional and national levels, to carry the
statelessness agenda forward after 2024.
DIP
with the support of
DER
A wide array of actors have emerged since the launch of the #IBelong Campaign to
work on issues of statelessness but thus far UNHCR has not effectively etablished a
robust coordination and engagement structure to develop strategies for collective
action. Shifting from a campaign that is seen as UNHCR’s responsibility to an enduring
coalition structure is better suited for the long-term nature of this work and the high
likelihood that statelessness will last beyond 2024. Building such a coalition will require
the time and attention of senior UNHCR leadership to mobilize a committed group of
actors during the remaining years of the campaign. The coalition should follow a whole
of society approach, seeking to ensure the voices of stateless and formerly stateless
persons are at the center of strategic thinking and public advocacy. It should engage
civil society and NGOs and their networks, academia, UN funds and programmes,
other international and regional organizations, and Member States. Key elements and
consituencies for a global coalition exist and should be brought together at the
formative stages, including the Friends of the Campaign to End Statelessness, NGO
and CSO statelessness networks, the GCENR, and the Coalition on Every Child’s
Right to a Nationality. The coalition should serve to link various already committed
actors and new ones, under a coherent strategy with five year targets and priority
countries of focus, to steer diplomatic, policy and public advocacy and programme
interventions (including joint efforts to follow up on pledges made at the GRF and
HLS). The coalition should hold meetings that bring all involved actors together
periodically to review progress, identify gaps and challenges, and make adjustments to
overall strategies. UNHCR should also leverage all of its relevant global partnerships
and incorporate statelessness into related agreements and joint plans.
5
Assess the feasibility of targeted resource mobilization efforts for
statelessness, while simultaneously elevating prioritization of statelessness
in internal resource allocation processes, to ensure sufficient resources for
statelessness work. Jointly develop options for financing the statelessness
work of UNHCR and its partners in the coalition that follows the campaign.
DER and DSPR
Questions regarding whether UNHCR should do more to seek earmarked funding
from governmental and private sector sources should be carefully considered in
light of understandable concerns about undermining the flexibility and quality of
funding. Yet, without dedicated funding UNHCR will always be in a difficult position
to make resource allocation decisions across many mission critical programmes
and earmarked funding brings benefits in terms of guaranteeing focus on
statelessness. Potential donors should be consulted to better understand their
willingness to contribute to statelessness work, the limitations they face in doing
so, and those interested in statelessness identified. At the same time, prioritisation
of statelessness within existing resource allocation processes should also be
strengthened so that the proportionality of investments made is more aligned with
internal and external messaging on the issue and its status as a core mandate of
the organization. Existing pooled and trust funds should be analyzed for potential
to access funding, and options for creating other collective appeals and financing
mechanisms should be considered. Special attention should be paid to avoid
creating competition among actors working on statelessness or undermining
localization commitments. In conjunction with the development of an enduring
coalition at different levels, joint resource mobilization strategies, mechanisms and
approaches should be thoughtfully considered.
6
Integrate statelessness context considerations into the new multi-year
operations planning process and situation analysis tools.
UNHCR / May, 2021
DSPR
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