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Support for the forcibly displaced promotes development, CWS tells the UN

Erol Kekic of Church World Service at the June 22 UN General Assembly hearing of NGO and civil society views on development. Photo: L. Selde/CWS

June 23, 2006

Many of the world's least developed countries host large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons. Though these nations lack the capacity to deal with large influxes of foreign nationals, they offer protection to those in need.

Speaking yesterday at the United Nations in advance of a review of progress made by least developed countries, Associate Director of Church World Service's Immigration and Refugee Program Erol Kekic pointed out that development assistance to countries of asylum and communities of internally displaced persons ultimately serves overall development goals.

Kekic was one of eight representatives of non-governmental organizations from Africa, South Asia, Europe and the United States informing the UN General Assembly's mid term review of a decade-long UN international development plan begun in 2001. Ministers and heads of state will consider the views of the private sector and civil society --expressed at the hearing -- when they meet September 14 and 15.

Kekic told the interactive hearing that refugees and the internally displaced were not a "burden" on their host communities. Instead, they have contributed to the host country's economic development and created work opportunities for the local population.

But as signatories of the 1951 Refugee Convention, countries of asylum must grant refugees all the rights spelled out in the treaty if refugees are to fulfill their development potential.

A rights-based approach towards refugee protection in countries of asylum will also allow international organizations serving refugees to build on "synergies between migration and development," he said.

Aid donors must target resources towards "the gap between relief and development," Kekic told the June 22 hearing in New York.

"Only by including the forcibly displaced in the development plans for the Least Developed Countries will their residence there contribute to the development of the host community," Kekic said, "while building skills and preparing refugees/IDPs for eventual return and reintegration into the country of origin."

He added that development assistance should also enable state and civil society in countries of refugee origin to absorb returnees.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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