Preparing for Returns Following Conflicts and Natural Disasters

• Jean-Christophe Dumont, OECD

This session will explore how different authorities, both past and present, determine whether regions are safe for the return of displaced populations following conflict or disaster. The session will delve into practices used to assess safety conditions and the criteria involved in making these decisions.

• Is there a universal definition for what constitutes ‘safety of return’? What are the key criteria or indicators that authorities use to determine whether a region is safe for the return of displaced populations, although the same level of stability before displacement may not have been reached yet?
• To what extent are local stakeholders, such as community leaders and civil society organizations, as well as the target beneficiaries, involved in assessing the safety of returnees? How is their input effectively integrated into formal safety assessments?
• In situations where safety assessments differ between authorities or stakeholders, how are these discrepancies resolved to ensure consistent and reliable decision-making?
• What are some of the common challenges or limitations faced in assessing safety conditions for return, and how can these be addressed to ensure decisions prioritize the well-being of displaced populations?

Speakers:

Alexander D. Mundt, UNHCR. The conditions for return for Ukrainians

Reiko Haseqawa, Sciences Po: Crisis Lab. Lessons from Japan

Katharine Susman, International Rescue Committee. Lessons from Honduras and other Latin American countries.

This theme will address the challenges that arise when returnees cannot go back to their original homes or even their home regions. It will look at how issues such as housing, compensation, and land rights have been handled in past displacement situations.

• What strategies have proven effective in addressing housing shortages for returnees who are unable to return to their original homes, and what lessons can be drawn from past displacement situations?
• How can governments and international organizations ensure that compensation schemes for lost or damaged property are equitable, transparent, and accessible to displaced populations?
• How can governments attract sustainable financing and investment to support housing, compensation, and land-rights initiatives for displaced populations, particularly in resource-constrained environments?
• In situations where it may no longer be feasible to return to one’s original home, what can be done to foster the reintegration of returnees and social cohesion in other regions?
• What kind of support should be provided to returnees who can no longer return to their original homes? To what extent are they willing to return to a different region, and what factors play a crucial role in their ability to adapt?

Speakers:

Ellen Hamilton, World Bank. Addressing the role of cities and communities in the integration of displaced persons.

Laura Cunial, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Addressing the issues of housing, land, and property rights in displacement and return contexts.

Raúl Santiago-Bartolomei, University of Puerto Rico. Lessons from Puerto Rico

This segment will explore the policies and measures necessary to facilitate long-term, sustainable returns after forced displacement, including those related to employment, social assistance, and reintegration support.

• How can the same short- or medium-term measures taken to ensure the livelihoods of returnees (particularly social security benefits or employment opportunities created as a result of an upsurge in returns) be transformed into long-term measures that ensure their sustainable livelihoods?
• What are the specific needs of returnees and how can social assistance programmes be designed and implemented to address them without creating inequities between the population that may have remained in the affected region (for cultural reasons, or lack of socio-economic opportunity to relocate) and the returning population? What strategies can be adopted to rebuild trust and strengthen social cohesion in communities receiving returnees, particularly in areas affected by conflict or disaster?
• What role do education and skills development play in supporting durable returns? In what ways can destination countries of displaced populations assist them in acquiring and subsequently recognising their skills upon return?
• How can governments and international organizations mobilize resources and partnerships to finance comprehensive reintegration programmes that ensure long-term success for returnees?

Speakers:

Mutasem Syoufi, The Day After NGO (Syria). Lessons from Syria

Piyasiri Wickramasekara, Global Migration Policy Associates. Lessons from Indonesia

Amandine Desille, University of Lisbon. Lessons from Portugal.

A response from a representative of Ukraine to connect the day's discussions to recovery and reconstruction efforts and ongoing activities.

• Vitalii Protsenko, Deputy Director - Head of the Regional Development and Reconstruction Division, Department of Strategic Planning and Regional Policy, Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine