40 Years of Presence of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. February 17, 2020 (2020-3)

 

1. Background and context:

In 2019, the international community marked 40 years since the beginning of the Afghan dieplacement. Entering the fifth decade of their uprooting. Afghan refugees are the second largest refugee population in the world and largest protracted displacement situation under UNHCR's mandate.

While mitions of Afghans returned to Afghanistan over the years, there have also been waves of displacement and migration to neighbouring countries and beyond. Although Afghan refugees are dispersed across more than 50 countries, nearly 90 per cent of them continue to be hosted by just two countries: the Islamic Republica of Pakistan and tran. With over 1.4 million Afghan refugees and a similar number of other groups of Afghan nationals residing on its territory Pakistan remains the world's largest host country of Alghan refugees (and the second largest rahuges hosting country worldwide)

Despite immense pressure on the infrastructure and national public service delivery ystems for the past four decades, associated with the protracted presence of millions of refugees Pakistan continues to generously host these refugees and uphold the principles of intemational refugee protection. The Refugen Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) programme, initiated and spearheaded by the Government of Pakistan in 2000, has benefited more than 12.4 million individuals, including both Afghan refugees and their Pakistani host communities.

The Government also remains committed to actively promoting solutions to the problem of displacement with the Government of Alghanistan and other stakeholders. The Goverment of Afghanistan, meanwhile, has denied the retum of refugees and other nationals as one of its key priorities, reflected the reintegration needs in its national development plans and processes, and identified "pronty areas of return and reintegration (PARRs),

The international community has supported these efforts, including through investments in the implementation of the multi-year regional Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSARI The SSAR focuses on voluntary repatriation, sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan and support for host communities among its principal elements. A dedicated SSAR Support Platform will be launched in December 2010, in line with the overarching objective of the Global Compact on Refugees, to operationalize international burden- and responsibility-sharing, including by creating new partnerships and better leveraging the existing ones for coherent and sustainable humanitarian and development respons.

2019 marked the 40 year of the Afghan refugee situation, as well as the 10 anniversary of the RAHA programme. These significant milestones provide a unique and timely opportunity for the international community to recognize the immense contributions made by Pakistan to the natugen causey to reflect and capitals on the achievements and lessons leamed thus far, and to explore opportunities for forging a new solidanty approach for the alamic Republica of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, building on the outcomes of the Glubul Refugee Forum and the launch of the SSAR Support

2. Objectives of the Conference

Against this background, the Goverment of Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR is onvening an international conference that will seek to bring together high-level representatives of the Goverments of the alamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan and the international community with a view to

(I)            Highlighting the generosity, hospitality and compassion of the Islamic Republics of Pakistan Iran, as well as other countries that have hosted one of the largest refugee populations in the world for four decades

(II)          Galvanizing greater support to establish conditions for voluntary repatriason and sustainable reintegration of refugees in Afghanistan, andincreased international burden- and responsibility sharing with host countries, in te with the SSAR and the Getal Compact on Refugees, and

(III)         Mobilizing engagement of a broader and more diverse base of stakeholders through the SSAR Support Platform and in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, with a view to leveraging humanitarian and development interventions to ease the pressure on host countries and create conditions conducive to return in Afghanistan

3. Outcomes of the Conference

The Conference will produce recommendations, captured in a chairperson's summary, which will inform the SSAR Support Platform and complement the outcomes of the Global Refugee Forum and its folow-up processes

4. Format of the Conference

The conference will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and be held over two days, consisting of a high-level opening s roundtables, a ministerial panel and other panel discussionstwo ministerial

On the occasion of High-level International Conference in Islamabad on 17-18 February 2020, To mark 40 Years of Presence of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamps of Rs 20 denomination each (Set of Stamps)