Background

Disasters and climate change are profoundly shaping human mobility patterns. From shifting seasonal migration to protracted displacement, the climate crisis is both an indirect and direct driver of human mobility, intensifying existing vulnerabilities and creating new forms of mobility, including displacement, migration and planned relocation. In 2022 alone, disasters triggered an estimated 32.6 million internal displacements, primarily in the context of weather-related hazards such as floods, storms and droughts. Looking forward, these numbers are projected to rise as climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of both slow and sudden-onset events and processes faced by vulnerable populations, as are the numbers of people anticipated to seek to cross borders in search of protection, assistance, safety and livelihoods.

Addressing the protection needs of people on the move in a changing climate demands comprehensive and crosscutting solutions. These should not only center on the environmental aspect, but also emphasize the human dimension, and the importance of achieving durable, sustainable outcomes rather than relying solely on emergency, temporary and reactive responses. A variety of policy approaches exist to tackle these challenges, drawing from the fields of human mobility, climate change, disaster risk reduction, human rights and sustainable development. What unifies these approaches is the shared understanding that besides tackling climate change and its adverse effects, our priorities must focus on human rights-based and people-centered approaches that protect those on the move today and in the future.

There has been international recognition of this issue, as reflected in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), as well as the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). However, regional efforts bear a particular significance for policy development. As highlighted in the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda (2015), which includes a toolbox of policies to address the needs of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change, it is often at the regional level where solutions will have to be found and were dynamic and impactful initiatives are emerging. These can focus both on intra-regional and inter-regional mobility in a changing climate and offer invaluable insights that, when leveraged effectively, can significantly contribute to advancing discussions and actions in this space. 

In light of this context, this event will foster an open dialogue among a diverse group of stakeholders including Governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and regional representatives from civil society. The objective is to leverage their diverse expertise and perspectives on policy development in the area of cross-border human mobility in climate change and disaster contexts. By doing so, the event seeks to share practical regional experiences, identify opportunities as well as obstacles to policy development, and explore strategies for implementing a whole-of-society approach, underpinned by the principles of climate justice and human rights.

The event evolves from a series of national and regional dialogues conducted throughout 2023 by the CMDP’s Steering Group in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). Engaging civil society representatives from Latin America, Africa, the Pacific Islands, South and Southeast Asia, and Georgia, these discussions – both in-person and virtual – centered on the impacts of climate change on displacement and migration. The dialogues emphasized the importance of well-resourced, inclusive, gender-, age- and disability-responsive policies that respect and protect the human rights of people in vulnerable situations. As a next step, delegates from these regions will participate in the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in Bonn in June 2023, and subsequently in the Human Rights Council (HRC) session in Geneva. The ultimate purpose of this event is then to harness these diverse regional experiences and engage in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on challenges and opportunities in addressing cross-border human mobility in the context of disasters, the adverse effects of climate change, and environmental degradation.

Objectives

The event has set the following objectives: 

1. To present a general landscape of ongoing regional initiatives addressing cross-border human mobility in the context of disasters, the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation, drawing on existing mappings, analysis, and reviews.
2. To facilitate an exchange among various actors (Governments, UN agencies, NGOs, regional civil society representatives) to identify policy and implementation gaps and opportunities, building on the insights and outcomes from the series of national and regional dialogues conducted throughout 2023. 
3. To formulate joint messages to advance the protection of people on the move in disaster and climate change contexts, with particular emphasis on regional dimensions and the incorporation of climate justice and human rights.

Outcomes

Following the event, a summary report will be prepared and distributed, summarizing critical points from the discussions and offering recommendations for policy development. These will be particularly relevant to the field of human mobility and related processes and platforms, including inputs to policy discussions under the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), the Global Refugee Forum, and the upcoming GCM regional reviews.

Participants:

CMDP Steering Group, CMDP/FES regional delegates, FES, ICMC, PDD, IOM, UNHCR, Member States, UNNM (TBC), OHCHR (TBC)