Panel 2: North America within the global refugee regime – 70 years protecting people forced to flee – Webinar
The virtual academic conference, “70 years protecting people forced to flee”, took place on 18, 19, 21 and 27 January to mark the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. ASL is also included in the video.
On January 21st, LERRN hosted two North American panels. These panels considered North American perspectives on the “who, what, and how” of realizing protection and solutions, both within North American and through North American engagement in the global refugee regime.
This panel, co-hosted by LERRN and IDRC, will consider the role of North American states (Canada, the US and Mexico) as actors within the refugee regime. The panel’s timing a day after Inauguration Day in the United States provides a critical moment to look at the past, present and future roles of North American actors within the regime. These actors include the three states in the region, along with civil society, private sector, and sub-state actors.
While the panel will take stock of past forms of engagement as donor states, asylum and host states, resettlement countries and leaders in policy development and diplomatic engagement, the panel will consider how North American perspectives can help advance dialogues on future questions and challenges facing the regime, including:
- Refugee inclusion and leadership
- Addressing diverse forms of displacement, including climate migration and internal displacement
- Linking humanitarian, development and peacebuilding responses
- Advancing localization and the inclusion of local perspectives in global discussions
The panel will include a critical reflection on issues of power and relations within and between actors in the refugee regime and the changing political context within which the refugee regime functions and within which UNHCR’s mandate needs to be pursued. This includes not only the interests of states in the functioning of the regime but also the state of public discourse and popular perspectives on approaching refugee movements through collective action and multilateralism.
Co-Moderators:
- James Milner, Project Director, LERRN
- Julie Crowley, Regional Director, Central & West Africa, IDRC
Panelists:
- The Honourable Bob Ray, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations
- Mustafa Alio, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Jumpstart Refugee Talent
- Jennifer Bond – Managing Director, Refugee Hub
- Elizabeth Ferris – Research Professor, Georgetown University
- Ana Macouzet – Senior Policy Advisor, Open Society Foundations
- Leah Zamore – Director, Humanitarian Crises, CIC
More info: