1 COMMITTEE: UNHCR
2 QUESTION OF: The Question of Integrating Refugees into Host Countries
3 Economies
4 SUBMITTED BY: Qatar
5
6 The General Assembly,
7
8 Acknowledges that with the current circumstances and events happening
9 internationally, there has been a rise in refugees which are seeking refuge
10 in other countries,
11 Conscious that many countries already are accepting and integrating
12 refugees into their local communities,
13 Expressing appreciation towards countries who are facilitating and
14 accommodating the integration of refugees into their country,
15 Noting that countries who are accepting and hosting the largest numbers
16 of refugees require resources and aid from others to facilitate this,
17 Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the 1951
18 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, along with its 1967
19 Protocol, which outline the rights of refugees and the responsibilities of
20 host countries,
21
22 1. Encourages member states to implement structured programs and
23 initiatives centred around education to allow for a smoother
24 integration of refugees into local communities, with programs which
25 are able to;
26
27 a) Allow greater levels of access to primary and secondary
28 education through developments of tailored curricula, provisions
29 of scholarships and language training and classes to mitigate the
30 negative impacts which language barriers have on refugees;
31
32 b) Ensure availability of vocational or further training and
33 improvement of recognition of foreign qualifications in all states
34 to allow refugees to integrate into the world of work faster and
35 achieve financial independence;
36
37 2. Calls Upon the international community to enhance financial and
38 logistical support through the establishment of a UN Refugee
39 Integration Fund (UNRIF) to assist host nations in implementing
40 procedures and initiatives such as;
41 a) Policies which are able to ensure the burden that countries face
42 when accepting and hosting refugees, both economically, socially
43 and politically are shared as equally as possible between nations
44 so nations are more inclined to host refugees;
45
46 b) Debt relief programs and initiatives as well as grants and
47 schemes which can be given to countries who are impacted
48 significantly by the large number of refugees who are being
49 integrated into their communities;
50
51 3. Recommends the creation of a UN sub-body for Refugee
52 Integration and Economic Empowerment (UNSRIEE) under the
53 UNHCR, with the purpose of the body being to monitor and oversee
54 the integration of refugees into host countries to make it as
55 effective as possible by;
56
57 a) Providing services which are able to advise governments and
58 municipalities on good practises such as;
59
60 i. Management of refugee settlements to ensure that these
61 settlements are able to provide basic necessities, such as
62 clean water and electricity, and maintain acceptable levels
63 of hygiene;
64
65 ii. Providing support to refugees for the maintenance and
66 betterment of their mental and physical wellbeing due to
67 the stress they would have faced from their experiences;
68
69 iii. Mitigation and containment of any infectious diseases, due
70 to refugees, which may impact the public health and place
71 increased strain on public services;
72
73 b) Facilitation of international collaboration which allows for
74 knowledge and advice to be shared between nations by bringing
75 together policymakers, humanitarian organisations, and
76 economic experts to allow for more effective solutions to be
77 made;
78
79 c) Conducting annual assessments and reviews of the progress
80 made and policies in place with findings being published to allow
81 other countries to adopt approaches which are effective and
82 sustainable;
83
84 4. Supports the collaboration between Gulf Cooperation Council
85 (GCC) member states, NGO’s, TNC’s, governments and other
86 international with this collaboration allowing for the;
87
88 a) Development of policies which are standardised across nations
89 such as protection schemes for refugees, process of applying for
90 humanitarian visas, and resettlement procedures which would
91 allow for an effective, global, unified approach;
92
93 b) Co-ordination of assistance programs between neighbouring
94 countries which would reduce duplication of efforts to ensure that
95 resources are used effectively where needed, and ensures that
96 the distribution of resources between each country is equal;
97
98 c) Encouraging of cultural exchange programs which would allow
99 for a smoother integration of refugees into communities and
100 would also in turn promote a mutual understanding between
101 locals and the refugees within their communities as locals build
102 an understanding of the refugees’ culture.