James Milner,听Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 杏吧原创 University,听and Project Director, LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network

Amanda Klassen,听PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, 杏吧原创 University,听and Project Officer, LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network

Executive Summary

Civil society actors have been central to the provision of protection, assistance and solutions to the displaced throughout human history. For thousands of years, religious organizations, guilds, and community networks have led responses to displacement, either through the direct provision of support or by advocating to higher authorities for the inclusion of displaced populations within political communities (Loescher 2021). The role of civil society accelerated in the 17th Century and the development of the Westphalian state system and as noted by Ferris (2003), civil society continued to play a critical role in refugee responses right through the 20th Century.

Given this long history, it may come as no surprise that civil society actors are a key feature of more recent efforts to enhance and innovate in ensuring more reliable and effective responses to instances of displacement. The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) notes in Paragraph 3 that it 鈥渋ntends to provide a basis for predictable and equitable burden- and responsibility-sharing among all United Nations Member States, together with other relevant stakeholders as appropriate, including but not limited to: international organizations within and outside the United Nations system, including those forming part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; other humanitarian and development actors; international and regional financial institutions; regional organizations; local authorities; civil society, including faith-based organizations; academics and other experts; the private sector; media; host community members and refugees themselves (hereinafter 鈥渞elevant stakeholders鈥�)鈥� (UNHCR 2018). In fact, the GCR includes civil society in the range of 鈥渞elevant stakeholders鈥� to be included in its two key mechanisms: the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) and in national arrangements including Support Platforms, such as those implemented through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).

Despite this long history and central role 鈥� from the 17th Century to the GCR 鈥� there is very limited research on the diverse forms of engagement of civil society in the functioning of the norms and institutions intended to ensure protection and solutions for refugees: the global refugee regime. There is also limited analysis of the wide diversity of actors within contemporary civil society, the means and mechanisms through which civil society actors are able to influence outcomes within the refugee regime, and the means by which the contribution of civil society can be enhanced. In response, this paper provides an overview and analysis of the role of civil society actors 鈥� including national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), refugee-led organizations (RLOs) and academic actors 鈥� in the politics of the global refugee regime. Drawing on historical examples, the paper also provides an analysis of the mechanisms and means through which civil society demonstrates influence in the provision of protection, assistance, and solutions for refugees. Overall, the paper argues that the impact of civil society is best understood in the context of the politics of the global refugee regime. It concludes with recommendations on how the impact of civil society actors can be enhanced.

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DOI

Citation

Klassen, A., Milner, J. (2021). Civil Society and the Politics of the Global Refugee Regime. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

Akalya Atputharajah, PhD Candidate, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa

Javans Wanga, Master of Arts in Forced Migration Student, Moi University, Kenya

Executive Summary

Localization is not a new agenda, but it re-emerged as a major area of focus for global refugee policy during the World Humanitarian Summit (2016) with the Grand Bargain and more recently in the 2018 Global Compact for Refugees. There are many benefits of localization, including reduced costs, deeper connections to vulnerable populations, and reduced duplication of services (Geoffrey and Grunewald 2017). However, there are also numerous barriers to localization, including due diligence and risk management systems, indirect funding structures, and the perception of international NGOs that local NGOs have insufficient capacities (Emmens and Clayton 2020). In Kenya, the refugee situation is becoming increasingly long-term after more than 20 years of hosting refugees and funding is dwindling, making the country an important case study. To this end, we conducted four weeks of fieldwork in Kenya. This research characterizes the extent of the localization of humanitarian action in Kenya as limited localization. Examples of localization included training, inter-agency and sectoral steering committees, and local hiring by international NGOs. Barriers included gatekept funds by UNHCR and a lack of trust in local NGOs. Informed by Aldrich鈥檚 (1976) resource dependence model, we highlight major barriers specifically related to the organizations鈥� dependence on resources. First, INGOs must mitigate risks in a UNHCR-dominated field and are limited in their ability to localize if they are in implementing partnerships themselves, since they must mitigate their own risks by not deviating from what is outlined in those partnerships. Second, exchanges between the UNHCR and other NGOs have established a strong domain consensus, in which the UNHCR is at the centre, INGOs are close to the centre and LNGOs are at the periphery. Third, LNGOs lack access to resources to engage in equal partnerships. To address these barriers, this paper concludes with three policy recommendations: a stronger UNHCR stance on direct funding to LNGOs, a reconceptualization of localization as an imminent priority instead of an eventual transition, and a formalization of INGO exit strategies to encourage concrete steps toward localization.

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Watch this video to learn more about Akalya and Javans’ research in Kenya.

DOI

Citation

Atputharajah, A., Wanga, J. (2020). The Impact of Resource Dependence on the Localization of Humanitarian Action: The Case of Kenya. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

Merve Erdilmen, McGill University

Witness Ayesiga Sosthenes, University of Dar es Salaam

Executive Summary

The idea of strengthening local humanitarian actors鈥� capacities, and access to funding and information, as well as making local non-governmental organizations essential partners in strategic decision-making processes, has been around globally since the early 1990s. Localization efforts have gained momentum since the World Humanitarian Summit (2016), alongside other international platforms and commitments, including the Charter for Change (2015), the Grand Bargain (2016), and the Global Compact on Refugees (2018). Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the essential role local actors play in responding to the crisis.

Amid greater efforts to realize localization ideals in different parts of the world, many have raised concerns about the issues at stake in these initiatives, and the factors that affect their success or failure. Hence, it remains important to better understand localization efforts in various contexts, the opportunities they provide, and challenges they pose.

This paper provides a general overview of opportunities and challenges for localization initiatives in Tanzania. Our research has aimed to understand the impediments faced by local nongovernmental actors and the sources of impediments to localization of humanitarian assistance and refugee protection initiatives in Tanzania. During our five weeks of field work in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we employed a mix of in-depth stakeholder interviews, participant observation and process tracing. Our findings show that even though the localization process has made important progress globally, it remains to be studied how international political economy concerns and power inequalities embedded in humanitarian action inform localization initiatives on the ground. Our paper provides the first analysis of this link in localization between global and local. Furthermore, we also provide several recommendations for policymakers and future research.

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DOI

Citation

Erdilmen, M., Sosthenes, W. A. (2020).Opportunities and Challenges for Localization of Humanitarian Action in Tanzania. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).