6th Meeting, 77th Session of UNHCR Executive Committee Meetings & Events Date: 14 October 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/ar/asset/k1v/k1v8sy1vrm?lang=en Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- ExCom · Chair [0:03]: Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, I am honored to chair our meeting this afternoon, in which we will resume our consideration of agenda item 3, the general debates. We have 28 delegations still registered to speak, so I encourage all speakers to adhere to their allotted five-minute speaking time. And I would like to remind us that this is something that we have agreed, and that is something really in our common interest to adhere to. So I will reserve my right to intervene if people run over their five-minute speaking time. My contribution to the strict timekeeping would be that I will refrain from referring to all of you as distinguished representatives, recognising that we are all distinguished indeed, I don't have to repeat that each and every time. So I'll be quick on my passing of the floor to delegations and hence then contribute to the orderly and timely conduct of this meeting. So then with that, we can start again the general debate. And the first speaker on my list is the representative of Slovakia. Slovakia, please, you have the floor. Slovakia [1:22]: Mr. Chairman, Slovakia aligns itself with the EU statement. Still, I would like to make a few comments in my national capacity that are of particular importance to my delegation. We congratulate the High Commissioner and his senior management team on assuming their post this year, and we welcome them to their first plenary session of the Executive Committee. Mr. Chairman. We acknowledge the great complexity of the present situation for multilateralism in general and for international humanitarian actors in particular. These actors have been among those who have borne consequences of the situation most, and their work depends heavily on the generosity of voluntary contributors. Slovakia appreciates the concentrated effort of the High Commissioner to cope with the situation, including his regular dialogue with the membership, about the necessary systematic transformation of our UN Refugee Agency. We know that in the context of the efficiency measures taken across the UN system, the UNHCR office in Bratislava had to be placed under the UNHCR multi-country office in Warsaw. We fully understand the need to prioritize resources And we trust that our excellent cooperation with UNHCR will continue unabated. Mr. Chairman, this year the international community celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention. As much as ever, it is imperative that the implementation of the letter and the spirit of this document be upheld and that UNHCR remain fully capable of carrying out its core protection mandate. We welcome the UNHCR's work on the new strategic directions and with interest take note of the vision to reduce the number of long-term aid-dependent refugees by half by the year 2035. Mr. Chairman, since the start of the Russia's full-scale war, Slovakia has had the responsibility for hosting numbers of refugees from Ukraine. We extend our repeated thanks to the UN agency, UN Refugee Agency, for its coordination role in support of our government in addressing the situation. Slovakia has supported the population of our hard tested neighbor on the humanitarian and economic fronts, and we will continue to do so. The importance of the such support cannot be overstated, especially now, when Ukraine prepares for yet another winter season. The war has now continued for far too long. And again, we add our voice to those who call for peace and a swift start of negotiations. But as long as this conflict and other multiple crisis situations in the world remain, we will look up to the international humanitarian community including UNHCR, to do their utmost. Mr. High Commissioner, you can rely on my country's support. We will be continuing to our cooperation to the best of our capacity. I thank you very much for your attention. ExCom · Chair [4:49]: Thank you very much, Slovakia. I now pass the floor to Croatia. Croatia, you have the floor, madam. Croatia [4:57]: Thank you. Mr. Chair, Croatia aligns itself with the EU statement and would like to add a few remarks in our national capacity. Let me begin by welcoming High Commissioner to his first ExCom and thank him for his statement. Croatia knows from its own history what displacement means. During the war of aggression against our country in the 90s, more than half a million Croats were or displaced or became refugees. At the same time, we demonstrated our solidarity by hosting more than 400,000 of refugees from neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNHCR stood by us then, and our cooperation remains solid after more than 30 years. Today, conflicts are multiplying and becoming more protracted, while geopolitical fragmentation is placing additional pressure on the international humanitarian system. At the same time, humanitarian financing is under unprecedented pressure. In this context, we appreciate the High Commissioner's call to reinforce protection while accelerating solutions. Humanitarian assistance will remain indispensable wherever lives are at risk, but it cannot be the endpoint. Croatia supports a stronger focus on inclusion, self-reliance, and durable solutions. The ambition to reduce by half by 2035 the number of refugees in long-term displacement who remain dependent on humanitarian assistance is both timely and important. Voluntary, safe, and dignified return must remain a central objective where conditions permit. At the same time, local integration, resettlement, and complementary pathways must remain available for those who cannot return. Our own response to unprovoked Russian aggression in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of strong national systems and effective partnerships. Croatia has provided temporary protection to almost 36,000 displaced Ukrainians and continues to invest in accommodation, access to services and integration. At the same time, responsibility cannot rest primarily with countries closest to crisis. Croatia recognizes the enormous contribution of refugee hosting countries and communities, particularly in low and middle income countries. Stronger international burden and responsibility sharing, therefore, remains essential. This requires partnerships extending beyond the traditional humanitarian community, with development actors, IFIs, private sectors, civil society, local authorities, and refugee-led organizations. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, we reiterate our conviction of the paramount importance of the international refugee protection system, including the principle of non-refoulement. As a member state with one of the longest external borders of the Union, Croatia implements the EU legislation with respect for international standards. We value the UNHCR's advisory role and we welcome its readiness to support us within its mandate. We are aware of the severe financial pressures facing UNHCR and the wider humanitarian system. We understand the need for rationalization and reform, and we support UNHCR's transformation in line with the humanitarian reset and the UN80 initiative. The transformation must preserve the expertise and operational capacity required to deliver its mandate. We commend the UNHCR staff for their dedicated work despite all the challenges. Predictable, flexible and sustainable funding is therefore more important than ever. We welcome efforts to broaden the donor base and to ensure that scarce resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. Croatia is committed to translating its solidarity into concrete action. In 2025, Croatia made its largest ever contribution to UNHCR, providing 2 million euros to support the humanitarian and recovery response in Ukraine, including assistance displaced to war-affected families. But still, we have not forgotten or overlooked further and other pressing humanitarian crises. In 2026, we continued our multi-year commitment to supporting Syrian refugees, through targeted initiatives in Jordan and Lebanon, as well as financially contributed to humanitarian operations in Syria proper. Our support also reaches Africa, where we support the project in Kiyaka II refugee settlement in Uganda. Looking ahead, the Global Refugee Forum 2027 will provide an important opportunity to review progress in implementing existing pledges and commitments, review international solidarity, and mobilize further support for refugees and host communities. Croatia stands ready to contribute constructively to this effort. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [9:42]: Thank you very much, Croatia. I now hand the floor to Japan. Japan, sir, you have the floor. Japan [9:49]: Mr. Chair, High Commissioner, Excellencies, and distinguished colleagues. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention this year, Japan wishes to emphasize the importance of the international refugee protection system. We also recognize and appreciate the humanity and generosity of refugee hosting countries and communities, particularly in low and middle income countries. We express our gratitude for the dedication and commitment of UNHCR colleagues through a period of difficult workforce reductions and significant organizational change. As a responsible donor, the government of Japan has provided over 100 million US dollars this year in support of UNHCR's work worldwide for refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons, covering emergency assistance, protection, and durable solutions. Japan's private sector engagement with UNHCR has tripled over the past 10 years, with Japan ranking second globally last year in terms of private contributions. Mr. Chair, Japan supports High Commissioner Saleh's 50 by 35 vision. This vision provides hope for refugees, forcibly displaced persons, and asylum seekers, and closely allies with the HDP Nexus approach that Japan has long been promoting. Japan stands ready to cooperate with UNHCR in achieving durable solutions and self-reliance under this vision, particularly through collaboration with development agencies and partnerships with the private sectors. Japan has had the honor of serving as a co-convener of the Global Refugee Forum since 2023. We express our deep appreciation for the support and cooperation we have received from member states, UNHCR, refugee-led organizations, and others in this capacity. Japan will continue to fulfill its commitment in the lead up to the 2027 GRF, including through the multi-stakeholder pledge on the humanitarian development peace nexus. In close cooperation with UNHCR, we are implementing innovative initiatives in Ethiopia and Syria to address refugee protection and climate change, utilizing grant funding from the Green Climate Fund. Once fully realized, these initiatives will be emblematic of both the 50 by 35 vision and the HTP Nexus. Mr. Chair, Japan takes note of the transformation underway within UNHCR, as mentioned by High Commissioner Saleh. As the gap between available resources and needs continues to grow, results oriented and efficient assistance is more critical than ever. In particular, we expect that the effort to reform humanitarian logistics through the G7 Humanitarian Supply Chain Working Group, in which Japan participates, will deliver time bound results. Japan appreciates UNHCR's budget reform, including its focus on fiscal transparency. We understand that UNHCR's proposed budget for 2027 will decrease compared to the previous year and that the Asia-Pacific region will also be affected by these budget cuts. However, we must remain alert to displacement-related needs in this region, where grave situations persist in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and other areas. Finally, I wish to highlight the importance of humanitarian diplomacy. We are deeply concerned about the increasing disregard for international humanitarian law, IHL. Upholding IHL and the values it represents is our shared responsibility. The protection of humanitarian personnel is an urgent priority. Over 1,000 humanitarian personnel have been killed in the past three years, while detentions have also risen sharply. Humanitarian personnel should be met with respect, never hostility, and attacks against them are absolutely unacceptable. Japan, as a core member of the Geneva-based Group of Friends, strongly supports the Declaration on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. In line with this commitment, Japan has been working with UNHCR through the E-Center to strengthen humanitarian response capacity in the Asia-Pacific and Africa. Mr. Chair, as the High Commissioner mentioned, Access to asylum and protection is under increasing pressure. We need an international refugee protection system that can withstand this pressure and function effectively. This system is only as good as the sum of its part. It requires sustained contributions as well as durable and innovative solutions. It can be enhanced by structure and budgetary reform where possible, but not at the expense of fulfilling its core functions. It can be strengthened through international, intentional humanitarian diplomacy to promote respect for IHL and the protection of humanitarian personnel. As we look ahead to next year's GRF, Japan will continue to consider how it can best contribute to a robust protection system that will enable us to respond more effectively to forced displacement. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [14:54]: Thank you very much, Japan. I now pass the floor to Estonia. Madam, you have the floor. Estonia [15:01]: Thank you, Mr. Chair, High Commissioner. Estonia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. To begin with, Estonia extends its deepest gratitude to UNHCR for its unwavering commitment to protecting human dignity and for its vital work in the face of global crisis. In an increasingly difficult world, UNHCR continues to protect those most at risk, provide life-saving assistance, uphold the right to asylum, and help communities rebuild in multiple humanitarian crises. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, its principles face increasing pressure. Estonia remains committed to the Convention and to supporting UNHCR in upholding international refugee protection. Regrettably, we must once again underline that Russia's continued war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes a blatant and systematic violation of the UN Charter and international law. The Russian Federation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, continues its deliberate attacks on Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure, seeking to make Ukrainian cities increasingly uninhabitable. Daily strikes also target logistics networks, healthcare facilities, civilian residential buildings, schools, humanitarian workers, and aid warehouses, while drones are being used to deliberately hunt civilians. September 2026 marked the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russia's full-scale war in February 2022. The daily horrors also extend to the forcibly occupied territories. Today, our attention must also turn to Oleshky, where the occupying forces are purposefully starving civilians and preventing them from leaving. In addition, through intentional attacks on fields, farmers, and agricultural warehouses, Russia is also threatening global food security, further driving people from their homes and forcing them into displacement. Estonia will continue its unwavering support for Ukraine, both through humanitarian assistance and by welcoming those forced to flee their homes. In addition, we cannot ignore the continued spread of disinformation and the instrumentalization of migrants by Russia, Belarus, and human smugglers, a challenge that extends far beyond our region. These actions are deliberate attempts to undermine international law, weaken the rules-based international order, and exploit people displaced from their homes and in need of international protection. Mr. Chair, in light of current financial constraints, we acknowledge the difficult decisions UNHCR has had to make as part of its ongoing restructuring. Predictable funding remains essential, and we are pleased that Estonia has already made its regular contribution for 2027. We trust that UNHCR will continue to actively engage in the humanitarian reset and UNHCR initiatives strengthening cooperation with humanitarian partners, particularly IOM. Digital innovation must also remain a key priority in advancing humanitarian reform, improving efficiency, and ensuring that limited resources reach those most in need. We welcome the 50 by 35 vision. However, protection must remain at the heart of this solutions-focused agenda. We encourage UNHCR to listen to, support and meaningfully engage NGOs, while ensuring that internally displaced persons are also included in these efforts. We also welcome the new 2027-2030 multi-year country strategies, which give countries a greater role in setting priorities and place stronger emphasis on local context. Finally, we greatly value UNHCR's continued presence in Thailand and the excellent cooperation with the local office team. Estonia reiterates its appreciation for UNHCR's tireless efforts to protect the world's most vulnerable and improve their situation. You can continue to count on Estonia's steadfast support. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [19:29]: Thank you very much, Estonia. I now pass the floor to Austria. Austria, madam, you have the floor. Austria [19:36]: Thank you. Austria aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We would like to thank the High Commissioner for his leadership and all UNHCR staff in the field and at headquarters for their dedication and hard work in difficult and dangerous operating environments. Chair, Austria is deeply concerned by the persistently high number of forcibly displaced and stateless persons as armed conflict and human rights violations continue to force people from their homes. We condemn in the strongest terms Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, which has displaced over 3.8 million people in Ukraine and almost 5.7 million beyond its borders, predominantly in Europe. We are deeply concerned about the severe humanitarian situations in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Afghanistan, and other countries where humanitarian needs remain insufficiently addressed, including Burundi, Somalia, and South Sudan. Within this context, and as one of the co-chairs of the Global IHL Initiative, We call upon all parties to armed conflict to strictly abide by their obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances. This includes the obligation to grant full, safe and unhindered access, humanitarian access, and guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers and corridors. Austria hosts a diverse population with continuously high numbers of asylum seekers and migrants and is one of the key refugee hosting countries in Europe. In 2026 alone, asylum has been granted to more than 4,700 persons and subsidiary protection or humanitarian stay to 4,300 more. In addition, more than 92,000 displaced persons from Ukraine hold valid temporary protection status in Austria. As set out in our strategy for humanitarian assistance, Austria will continue its focus on vulnerable, marginalized and discriminated groups, women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ+ persons. We are also working to strengthen measures against migrant smuggling and on the protection of victims of human trafficking. The Vienna Conference on Trafficking, the Vienna Conference against Trafficking in Human Beings, which takes place tomorrow, will focus on the challenges of tackling human trafficking in the digital age. Chair, we welcome UNHCR's work within UNHCR and the humanitarian reset. Amidst the current funding situation, we appreciate UNHCR's efforts to broaden partnerships with international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, local and refugee-led organizations, while ensuring the meaningful participation of refugees and local populations in decisions that affect them. We will continue to support the Office's important work, and we are proud to be among UNHCR's top donors. For many years, the office has been one of our key partners in the implementation of humanitarian assistance. Austria welcomes the root-based approach, as well as the 50 by 30 vision, as an important step towards addressing protracted displacement, advancing durable solutions, and strengthening refugees' self-reliance. We value the support to particularly affected host countries and communities, as well as the strengthening of burden and responsibility sharing, as enshrined in the Global Compact on Refugees. As we mark its 75th anniversary, Austria remains committed to upholding its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, and to multilateralism, the rule of law, and a rules-based international order. As an elected member of the Security Council, emerging technologies, the protection of civilians, children in armed conflict, and women's full participation in peace processes will be among Austria's priorities. Let me conclude by reiterating the full support of Austria to the High Commissioner and the dedicated staff of UNHCR. in being the lifeline and voice of refugees and forcibly displaced persons, wherever they are. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [24:26]: Thank you very much, Austria. We will now hear from Guatemala, after which we will return to the High Commissioner for his response. Guatemala, you have the floor, please. Gracias, senora. Guatemala [24:38]: Chairperson, thank you very much. Guatemala aligns itself with the statement made by Colombia on behalf of GRULAC. High Commissioner, we congratulate you once again as you begin your role at the head of this organization at a decisive moment characterized by the persistence of conflict, geopolitical polarization, and unprecedented tension being brought to bear on the international humanitarian system. We reiterate our commitment to continue working rigorously, effectively, and constructively with your mandate and with UNHCR. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, Guatemala reaffirms the relevance and transcendence of this international framework. The Convention isn't a static document. It is a living commitment. Given the crisis in human mobility and mixed migration flows crossing Latin America and the Caribbean particularly, we call respectfully for those states that have not yet signed up to this instrument to do so, and this to support global solidarity. High Commissioner, we place particular emphasis on and welcome your 50 for 35 vision. the transition from emergency assistance towards lasting solutions, resting on socio-economic inclusion, local integration and dignified voluntary return, are essential. Nonetheless, we highlight that continuity and financial and technical support is vital to sustain those reforms. In that vein, we'd like to convey our profound concern regarding the extreme financial limitations being confronted by UNHCR. We support institutional transformation processes and initiatives such as UN80 and humanitarian reconfiguration, but we also ask that we guarantee that these reforms conserve the quality and technical and operative capacity of UNHCR in the field. Not only does Guatemala reconfirm its commitment to multilateralism, but this is also being manifested in concrete actions. Our strategic alliance with UNHCR has allowed us to consolidate our national refugee system, thanks to mobile field days, digitization, and that at regional headquarter levels, as well as the Guatemalan migration program. Through citizen solidarity programs, local government has strengthened financial inclusion and work permit access. Although we have institutionalized these responses, these processes require financial and technical support, which is sustained to avoid any backsliding. As a result, we highlight the requirement to turn our gaze back to the Americas. High Commissioner, the MERPS demonstrated that shared responsibility works. In that context, Guatemala reiterates its commitment to head up the presidency of MERPS in 2027, and we'd like to take this opportunity to extend a warm invitation to the High Commissioner to visit Guatemala in the context of that cycle. Chair, looking forward to the Global Forum on Refugees of 2027 and the commitments of the Global Compact, we call for sustainability to be firmly and robustly reflected in the regional agenda. And we underscore the urgent requirement that UNHCR reorientate its strategic and financial priorities towards our region for the 2027 cycle. Once again, Guatemala reiterates its preparedness to continue to work jointly with partners to build a more effective protection system which is rooted in solidarity and human dignity. Thank you, Chair. ExCom · Chair [29:00]: Thank you very much, Guatemala. And with that, I return to you, High Commissioner, for your response. You have the floor. UNHCR · High Commissioner [29:08]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me start by thanking Cuba for the statement and recalling that behind each figure is a human tragedy. Your support for the 50 by 35 is appreciated. And as I have flagged, the focus is to diminish the need for humanitarian assistance. It will not It does not aim to shift burdens and responsibilities, and that is clear. And I truly agree that the real objective is to get to a situation where there is no longer need for UNSCR. We hope the day will come when there are no forced displacement that would require an international organization to keep up with. Thank you, South Sudan, for noting that our vision that displacement must remain a temporary situation and not a permanent one resonates so well with your national values and your commitment to implementing the 50 by 35 vision. And I agree, durable solutions must be pursued even in challenging contexts. We owe it We owe this to displaced populations, and I appreciate that institutional, legal, and administrative arrangements to support refugees cannot alone complete the journey, but this political will and change legal framework are also so critical. Thank you, Afghanistan, for highlighting what happens after the emergency. And I saw the challenges in responding to this question directly for myself during my recent mission to Afghanistan with UNDP Administrator Alexander de Krug. I fully agree that forced returns is not a durable solution. And I also agree that this is not the time to look away from Afghanistan, especially not for young women so desperately cannot see their dreams limited in the way they are. Their voice, indeed, is our moral compass, including our dialogue while on mission in Afghanistan. Thank you, Slovenia, for welcoming our work on the strategic directions and the 50 by 35 vision and recognizing and supporting our work in your region, as well as in Ukraine, especially as another winter approaches. As we mark 75 years of the Refugee Convention, Slovakia's call to uphold both its letter and spirit is timely. And I'm confident that our close cooperation with you will continue very well under the new multi-country office arrangement. To Croatia, I extend my gratitude for the statement and also for its longstanding support for UNHCR and the close cooperation we have enjoyed over many years. We particularly value our partnership strengthening asylum and reception systems, supporting refugee protection, and advancing opportunities for inclusion and integration. We also appreciate the emphasis in Croatia's statements on protection and durable solutions, and thank you for turning your commitment to action by your increased funding. Thank you, Japan, for your strong partnership and for your highly appreciated and very important contribution. Your sustained support, including through Growing private sector engagement helps protect and assist displaced people at a time of rising needs and constrained resources. Thank you also for your leadership as one of the GRF's co-conveners and for your engagement through the multi-stakeholder pledge on humanitarian development and peace nexus. Follow up on this will indeed be important also to advance the 50 by 35 vision. as well your initiative with UNHCR in Ethiopia and in Syria to use the Green Climate Fund to support, address protection and climate pressures. I'm grateful for your support. To Estonia, I say thank you for your support, including to UNHCR. as it carries out its reforms. Your regular contributions are much appreciated, and I would like to reiterate that we remain committed to working closely with our UN partners to strengthen efficiencies through the UNHAT and humanitarian reset concept, including appropriately sharing data. And in that regard, we are really moving ahead in sharing data together with WFP and with other humanitarian organizations and also working on an important joint data hub in Korea. The partnership with NGOs is also very critical and indeed they are and will be important partners for us to implement the 50 by 35. Thank you, Austria, for your work. and your affirmation for the need to respect and ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law. Full, safe, and unhindered access is critical for us to be able to do our work in protecting displaced populations, and thank you for this important call. Thank you also for your focus on marginalized groups, including protection for protection of trafficked persons. Your meeting in this regard in Vienna tomorrow, focusing on the risks in this digital age, will be making an important contribution. Thank you, as always, for being one of our top donors. I thank Guatemala for its steadfast support for UNHCR's mandate, the 1951 Convention, and multilateral cooperation. I welcome, as you have kindly outlined, your effort to strengthen asylum, inclusion, access to work through the National Refugee System and Solidarity Cities program. I share your concern over funding pressures and will continue to advocate for sustained support for protection and durable solutions in the Americas. Guatemala's future leadership of the MRRP in 2027 will be important in advancing shared responsibility and concrete commitments for refugees and host communities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ExCom · Chair [35:39]: Thank you very much, High Commissioner. We then return to the speakers list, and the next one on that list is Pakistan. Pakistan, please, sir, you have the floor. Pakistan [35:52]: Thank you very much. High Commissioner, Chairperson, Excellencies and distinguished delegates, good afternoon. Pakistan is pleased to participate in this session of the Executive Committee. We thank the High Commissioner for his statement and sharing his vision to respond to the needs of growing number of forcibly displaced populations, mainly caused by escalating conflicts and climate shocks. We share the sentiments of the High Commissioner to focus on finding durable solutions for refugees' situation across the globe. Durable solutions, in our view, largely depends on a renewed and international cooperation inter alia to reverse the trends of growing displacement and to prevent new humanitarian crises through dialogue and diplomacy, peaceful settlement of disputes, and conflict prevention for lasting peace. In line with this policy, Pakistan has been playing a leading role in peace and mediation in the region and beyond. including as one of the largest troop contributors to the UN peacekeeping missions in conflict zones to create a humanitarian space for the actors in humanitarian organization to provide essential humanitarian services in relief. Chairperson, for over four decades, Pakistan has hosted over 4 million Afghan refugees and nationals. consistently demonstrating generosity and compassion in managing one of the world's largest and most protected refugee situations. The prolonged unregulated stay, especially of illegal aliens, have resulted in socioeconomic and security challenges for us. We will continue to provide protection to the most vulnerable individuals. in accordance with our national capacities and consistent with our national laws and policies. The government of Pakistan encourages regularized stay in legal avenues for those seeking to enter Pakistan, just like any other nation of the world, after obtaining visas for education, business, trade, medical treatment, or family visits. Chairperson, resettlement and complementary pathways should be enhanced, not restricted, given the fact that expanding access to third country solution is an integral part of our collective commitment made under Global Compact on Refugees. As we look forward to the 2027 GRF, we expect The full implementation of pledges made under the previous GRF and uninterrupted continuity of adequate, flexible, and long-term sustainable funding to the UNHCR to ease pressure on the host states, create favorable conditions in the country of origin, and strengthen the mandate of UNHCR. Regarding High Commissioner vision 50 by 35, We would like to continue to close engagement and consultation with the UNHCR and member states while moving ahead towards its implementation phase. We suggest the operationalization of this vision should take into account the specific needs, context and situation of the host state. High Commissioner, you have Pakistan's full support. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [40:00]: Thank you very much, Pakistan. We will now hear from Ghana. Ghana, please, you have the floor. Ghana [40:06]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. High Commissioner, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Ghana aligns fully with the statement delivered on behalf of the African Group. Mr. Chair, Ghana remains firmly committed to ensuring that refugees live in safety, dignity, and hope with opportunities for self-reliance. In this spirit, we have launched the Ghana Refugee Agribusiness Sustainability Program, GRASP, a flagship initiative that brings together refugees and host communities in shared livelihoods. Guided by the principle of leaving no one behind, GRASP fosters empowerment, social cohesion, and resilience, while advancing the High Commissioner's 50 by 35 vision. This program reflects Ghana's shift from short-term humanitarian responses to long-term inclusion. National institutions, particularly the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, are investing resources and expertise. Yet, we are at a critical stage of implementation. We call on UNHCR and partners to strengthen support so that GRAPS achieves lasting impact and becomes self-sustaining. Mr. Chair, durable solutions remain central. Ghana has actively engaged the Lome Dialogue on refugee protection and national security, and recently signed the tripartite agreement on voluntary repatriation of Burkina Bay refugees. We stand ready to ensure voluntary returns take place in safety, dignity, and full accord with international standards. At home, Ghana continues to advance refugee inclusion through access to national systems. Refugees now hold the Ghana card, enabling access to financial services, healthcare, and education. More broadly, refugee services are increasingly delivered through the same structures serving Ghanaian citizens, strengthening inclusion and efficiency. Mr. Chair, like many hosting countries, Ghana faces constrained global funding. While we rely more on national capacities, international responsibility sharing remains vital. We urge partners to ensure UNHCR is adequately resourced to provide the technical, operational, and financial support refugee hosting countries require. In closing, Ghana congratulates the High Commissioner on his appointment and assures him of our full support in advancing the shared objective of reducing reliance on humanitarian aid and expanding opportunities for self-reliance, inclusion, and durable solutions by 2035. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [43:29]: Thank you very much, Ghana. I will now pass the floor to Georgia. Georgia, Madam, you have the floor, please. Georgia [43:35]: Thank you. Mr. Chair, Mr. High Commissioner, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, at the outset, allow me to reaffirm Georgia's strong support for UNHCR and its indispensable mandate. At a time when forced displacement remains at alarming levels and humanitarian resources are increasingly constrained, the international community must demonstrate renewed solidarity and act based on the shared responsibility. The 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention provides a timely opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to international protection and to the fundamental principles underpinning it. Georgia welcomes the High Commissioner's emphasis on durable solutions, self-reliance, and reducing prolonged dependence on humanitarian assistance. We believe that these priorities must be accompanied by sustained international engagement, predictable funding, and above all, efforts to address the root causes of displacement. Georgia knows the human cost of forced displacement across generations. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians expelled from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Skhino Valley regions of Georgia continue to be deprived of their fundamental right to return to their homes in a safe and dignified manner. Regrettably, no meaningful progress has been achieved towards the return, while the humanitarian and human rights situation in the occupied regions continues to deteriorate. That, among others, have been confirmed by multiple international documents, including UN resolutions and reports. In the absence of international monitoring mechanisms on the ground, we reiterate our call for unhindered international access to both regions and for ensuring the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees. Meanwhile, the Government of Georgia remains firmly committed to improving the living conditions of IDPs without prejudice to their right to return. Georgia continues to contribute to international responsibility sharing. Since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, we have welcomed and supported more than 28,000 war-affected Ukrainians, providing accommodation, healthcare, education, and socioeconomic assistance. As of August 2026, over 41 million Georgian lari had been allocated from the state budget under dedicated assistance programs. We also continue to strengthen our national asylum and international protection system. The law on international protection, which entered into force in October 2025, represents an important step in this direction. In close cooperation with UNHCR, Georgia is advancing refugee integration, access to essential services, protection of stateless persons, and opportunities for economic and social inclusion. We particularly value UNHCR's longstanding presence in Georgia and its continued engagement in addressing the needs of conflict-affected populations. As UNHCR faces unprecedented financial and operational challenges, maintaining its capacity to deliver protection and assistance must remain a collective priority. We firmly believe that durable solutions require not only humanitarian responses, but also sustained political commitment to resolving conflict and addressing the causes of displacement. Georgia stands ready to continue its close cooperation with UNHCR and international partners in advancing a more effective, inclusive and sustainable international protection system. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [46:56]: Thank you very much, Georgia. We'll now hear from Israel. Israel, please, madam, you have the floor. Israel [47:04]: Thank you, Chair. Allow us to welcome the High Commissioner at his first ExCom. We would also like to thank the Permanent Representative of Japan, Ambassador Oike, for his leadership. The UN Agency for Refugees is doing truly crucial work to support persons in vulnerable situations across the globe. To that extent, we wish to support the 50 by 35 vision of the High Commissioner. This approach underlines that a sustainable and long-term solution is needed to ensure persons can exit situations of refuge to build their livelihood. Mashav, Israel's agency for international development cooperation, works directly and meaningfully with refugees and displaced persons around the world based on a similar idea. Instead of fostering long-term dependency on humanitarian relief, they focus on capacity building and community resilience. By equipping displaced population with actionable skills and innovative tools, They transform a period of instability to an opportunity for growth and resilience. In Ukraine, Mashav trained thousands of local professionals on psychological first aid and trauma care for refugees and displaced children. That was part of one of Mashav's largest aid operations that also included the establishment of a field hospital providing urgent medical care to tens of thousands of refugees and displaced persons. In South Sudan, Mashav organized urgent aid shipments in partnership with Israel, with hygiene kits, medical equipment, and water purification systems. Mashav also provides community resilience and crisis response training in the Golda Meir Carmel Training Center, focusing on crisis management and psychosocial support. Unfortunately, in recent years, the center had to adapt its expertise to address urgent internal challenges by providing support for displaced Israelis. Chair, since October 7, Iran and its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, have launched thousands of missiles and rockets aimed to population centers in Israel. Those indiscriminate attacks on Israeli civilian population forced more than 300,000 Israelis to be evacuated from their homes. To this day, many of them are still displaced, mostly in the border regions, and many homes have been completely destroyed, leaving entire communities evacuated and unable to rebuild their lives. Excellencies, Israel shares the principle underlining the High Commissioner's 50 by 35 vision that refugeehood should not be a permanent condition and that a sustainable and long-term solution is needed to ensure persons can exit situations of refuge. To build a future. The vision rests on a simple principle articulated by the High Commissioner himself. Being a refugee is not meant to be a permanent fate. It is meant to be a temporary condition. However, there is a fundamental inconsistency that deserves our attention because this is a principle the international community has embraced for refugees around the world, with one notable exception, the Palestinians. For decades, Palestinians have been treated under a separate institutional framework, one that uniquely extends assistance eligibility across generations, expanding the interpretation of the concept of refugeehood. While the international community speaks of ending dependency and advancing durable solution, it continues to finance a parallel system without applying the same vision of transition and self-reliance. Refugeehood, by definition, is not a permanent condition. This principle must apply universally. As resources are limited and we have concerns regarding budget restrictions and financial cuts, we must make sure the UN system is not abused. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [51:14]: Thank you very much, Israel. We will now turn to Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial Guinea, madam, you have the floor. Equatorial Guinea [51:23]: Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to begin by expressing on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea our congratulations to Mr. Baram Salih for his election and our recognition to the Chair of the Executive Committee for the organization of this 77th session as well. Equatorial Guinea believes that this meeting constitutes an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation, international solidarity, multilateral cooperation, and the protection of those who are in situations of enforced displacement. We come to this forum in a constructive vein and with the conviction that challenges connected to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as migration flows, require creative responses based in international law. Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to highlight on this opportunity that there has been a significant step forwards in the national process of capacity building around human rights, international protection, and migratory governance. From the 7th to the 11th of September 2026, we held in Malabo a inter-institutional training and technical assistance workshop, jointly organized by the government of Equatorial Guinea and the United Nations system. This initiative enjoyed the participation of relevant structures from the United Nations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, as well as UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, in collaboration with the relevant national institutions. For Equatorial Guinea, this activity represents a key space for training, exchange of experiences and technical assistance aimed to strengthen progressively our international and institutional capacities. Chair, in this context, I'd like to highlight our desire to move towards specifically tailored national legislation in the sphere of asylum and international protection. with the relevant technical support. This process should contribute to the strengthening of the institutional framework and our national legal apparatus to support those requesting international protection and to bring our laws into line with the current treaties and refugee status. Chair, we also, from an African perspective, think that it's equally important to lend particular focus to the characteristics of the continent. African states have demonstrated for decades a particular capacity to host refugees and provide solidarity, but this should be supported by appropriate international cooperation, as well as a properly balanced distribution of responsibilities. Chair, Equatorial Guinea would like to reaffirm to this Committee its will to continue strengthening its cooperation with the United Nations system. in the spheres of human rights, international protection and migratory governance. The recent workshop that took place in Malabo constitutes a concrete example of that cooperation and demonstrates the usefulness of technical assistance and exchanges of experiences to strengthen our national capacities. Participation in this session should be seen in that light. It should be seen as an expression of a will to continue participating in multilateral dialogue and contribute as far as we can, within the limitations of our resources, to international efforts to protect those who have been forcibly displaced. Chair, High Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, international protection is first and foremost a shared and human responsibility. In that vein, we reiterate our preparedness to maintain constructive dialogue with UNHCR, with Member States and the Executive Committee, as well as with African countries and other relevant stakeholders. We would like to see this 77th session contribute to bolstering international solidarity, improving protection mechanism, and progressing towards lasting solutions for the refugees and displaced persons. Allow me to conclude by conveying our thanks to the High Commissioner and to the Chair of the Executive Committee, as well as the entire staff of UNHCR for their commitment and dedication. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [56:13]: Thank you very much, Equatorial Guinea. We will now hear from Myanmar. Myanmar, madam, you have the floor. Myanmar [56:20]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. High Commissioner, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates, my delegation joins previous speakers in appreciating the leadership of Mr. Pahlam Salih as UN High Commissioner for Refugees and in assuming this important role. We are delighted to observe the High Commissioner's 50 by 35 vision, along with the longer-term sustainability for those who depend on humanitarian assistance. While acknowledging the prerequisite for creating conducive conditions to facilitate the voluntary return, it is equally vital for the international community to be part of the solution in shaping the enabling environment for repatriation. We have seen that this 50 by 35 vision is timely and essential in light of growing pressure on the international humanitarian system and UNHCR's ongoing transformation within wider UN reforms, including humanitarian reset and the UN 80 initiative. Mr. Chair, when it comes to the issue of displaced persons from Rakhine State of Myanmar, we must acknowledge terrorist attacks by the ARSA, or also known as Al-Qaeda Mujahideen group, in October 2016 and August 2017, and it is the root cause of the displacement of different communities in Rakhine State. According to the national records, more than 740,000 Bengalis have resided in northern townships of Rakhine State prior to the ARSA terrorist attacks. Following the incidents, more than 200,000 remain in the same areas, whereas about 540,000 were displaced to the neighboring country. From our part, the government remains committed to facilitating the return of verified individuals and has continued the relevant verification procedures in accordance with the signed agreements between the two countries. As of 31st July 2026, out of the list of over 800,000 individuals provided by Bangladesh, In six batches, Myanmar found that over 300,000 were former residents from Rakhine State. The tripartite memorandum of understanding signed in June 2018 by Myanmar and the UNHCR and UNDP to support the repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine State has been extended annually. Myanmar will receive the verified displaced persons when the security situation in Rakhine State becomes more stable. Mr. Chair, we are encouraged to observe the acknowledgement of increasingly complex refugee and mixed movements, as well as the exploitation of human trafficking and smuggling networks across the world. And the development in sufficient regular migration channels and demand for unregulated labourers are among the main drivers of the irregular movements. To address the issue, it is crucial to recognise the underlying challenges Otherwise, it could deviate from resolving the problem. Myanmar shares the High Commissioner's view that promoting self-reliance is critical in times of diminishing resources, and more importantly, no one should permanently depend on humanitarian assistance. While Myanmar appreciates the provision of humanitarian assistance and facilitates such aid to reach those in need, the lack of development assistance to Myanmar over five years to serve review and restoration. Although providing development assistance does not fall within the mandate of UNHCR, careful coordination among UN agencies is essential to realize the vision of self-reliance. In this connection, we stand ready to work with the UNHCR team in Myanmar to promote the self-reliance of displaced persons in certain areas of the country. Since the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement signed a memorandum of understanding with UNHCR, in June this year. We have committed to facilitate UNHCR's presence in Myanmar with over 70 staff, allowing field visits and extending cooperation at different levels of the government. We are looking forward to further strengthening the existing constructive cooperation with UNHCR. Thank you, Mr. Chair. ExCom · Chair [1:01:02]: Thank you very much, Myanmar. I now turn to Tunisia. Tunisia, sir, you have the floor. Tunisia [1:01:18]: Thank you, sir. High Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, I wish to express warm greetings to the High Commissioner, Mr. Baham Sali, as he steps out on this noble task conferred upon him. And we appreciate his vision, 50 by 35, we very much hope that that will help us to find sustainable solutions for all of humanity and the most vulnerable members of our populations. Ladies and gentlemen, the priorities of UNHCR are clear. We have seen the figures for 2025. We know that there's an unprecedented number of refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons. We have shrinking financing and the effectiveness of the international response given the refugee crisis is in question. The 1951 Convention is, however, facing up to these challenges in a solid and robust manner. We need to re-examine our capacity to absorb these crises and to provide proper protection to all of those forced to flee their homes and to seek safety elsewhere. International protection is a moral duty that we have towards humanity, and this responsibility must be shared. We should invest in promoting partnerships and in burden sharing. Of course, there's ever more pressure, there are ever more constraints. and resources are ever scarcer for UNHCR, but this should not lead us to feel that we're in a dead-end situation. We need to look for solutions and we need to look at how we can alleviate the burden on transit and host countries to show solidarity to these host countries facing economic and social challenges on a major scale. Tunisia notes the fact that UNHCR's budget has shrunk, and this has a real impact on the international community's ability to assume its responsibilities. We must preserve the achievements of the 1951 convention, all of the achievements over these last 75 years. Tunisia has shouldered its responsibilities. We have hosted refugees to make sure that they are not in a situation of suffering. Tunisia feels that we need to attack the root causes of displacement and to have a global approach to do so, which focuses on sustainable development, establishing peace and stability in countries of origin, and to look for political and security solutions so that we can also combat trafficking in human beings. This international cooperation must be the cornerstone of everything we do. We should focus on human dignity. and be unwavering and unceasing in our efforts to preserve human dignity. We remain steadfast in our support of the key principles undermining the refugee convention. We shall respect the treaties and the charter and conventions governing this sector and we really would promote mechanisms which allow us to provide better protection to refugees to ensure basic services as far as we can according to our means, so that we can make sure that we preserve their dignity whilst our sovereignty and national security and social peace is still respected in conformity with our international commitments. We refuse any attempts to pervert this. We shall pursue our national and regional efforts and multilateral efforts. In particular, we shall pursue our cooperation with UNHCR. which we have had over some 75 years to ensure protection and dignity for all persons resident within our territory. President, this year we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention, and here Tunisia would formulate the hope that this celebration will be an opportunity for us to renew our, the international community's, commitment to establishing a more effective and transparent asylum system with sustainable solutions, allowing us to demonstrate collective solidarity. International cooperation is vital. in a more coherent, cohesive way, in a more coordinated way. I very much hope that the 2027 GRF will be an opportunity for us to shed light on points of convergence between the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migrants so that we can crystallize our thinking around the priorities and ensure the necessary financing so that we can address the real challenges facing us today and provide the necessary support to persons who are forcibly displaced, whatever the reasons are for this displacement, and to ensure dignified and safe return as well we would stress the important role of un in protecting Palestinian refugees and we condemn the crimes of genocide and all of the crimes which we have witnessed committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza we note the repeated. Attacks and. UNHCR should strengthen its support to Lebanon and Sudan. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:07:38]: Colombia, sir, you have the floor. Colombia [1:07:41]: Thank you very much, Chairperson. Colombia would like to express its recognition and solidarity to UNHCR staff and their commitment and dedication in a year of serious financial restrictions, particularly those who have been forced to leave the organization. We'd like to thank UNHCR, particularly its teams in the field, for the support provided during the 10th of August earthquake and their preparedness to support the response and recovery efforts headed up by the government. In the year of the 75th anniversary of the Convention on Refugee Status of 1951, Colombia reaffirms the relevance of that instrument and its core principles. In the face of an increase in displacement, conserving the right to seek and receive international protection continues to be a shared responsibility. We particularly appreciate UNHCR's technical support towards the strengthening and modernization of the Colombian refugee system. This cooperation includes developing technological tools, institutional capacity building, and the creation of a new refugee status determination procedure. All of this in line with national, international, and regional protection standards. Colombia is also progressing with creating its first public refugee policy, created following regional consultations with UNHCR support. And we hope to share that experience during the regional meeting of the status advisory committees, which we will be hosting in Bogota in November, as an opportunity to share good practices and strengthen asylum systems in our region. We're also grateful for UNHCR's support in the sphere of statelessness and lasting solutions, as well as the choice of Colombia as a priority country for the joint UNHCR-World Bank initiative. We hope to progress with a roadmap which will joint protection developments, socio-economic inclusion and concrete opportunities across the territories. Chairperson, in the context of financial restriction, we're particularly concerned by the impact that cuts to resources might have on UNHCR's operations in Colombia. As the country that contains the largest number of people requiring protection in the region, Colombia requires that it keep close relationships with UNHCR to support its response to displacement, as well as in the face of mixed migration flows and other humanitarian emergencies. Consequently, we highlight the importance of strengthening shared initiatives, including resource mobilization and that of technical capacities to ensure protection in country. As arose from the Global Forum, on refugees, representing the Americas, and as a co-sponsor for that, representing our region over these three years, we hope that we will keep our region at the center of this debate. Chairperson, the Americas are ending this work, their work, at the leading up the Executive Committee, which Colombia was very honored to take part in, we'd like to express our thanks for the support of the various countries that were able to support our various conclusions on education and disabilities. These conclusions will guide UNHCR's work as well as states' efforts and those of other relevant stakeholders in strengthening the protection and inclusion of refugees and other people requiring international protection. We do trust that these commitments will be manifested in concrete actions, and we hope to continue to pay particular attention to their effective implementation. We will continue to work constructively with UNHCR to make international protection something that brings to bear lasting solutions. Allow me to finish by thanking our rapporteur for this year that now comes to an end, and they will be ending their role here. So I'd like to just thank them for the work done. Thank you very much, Chair. ExCom · Chair [1:12:01]: May I suggest a round of applause for Laura. Well done, thank you very much. So that was the last national statement. We will now turn to international organizations, and the first one on that list is International Development Law Organization. You have your five minutes, please. IDLO [1:12:28]: Thank you, Chairperson. High Commissioner, on behalf of the International Development Law Organization, I wish to congratulate you on assuming your duties and wish you every success in your mandate. As an intergovernmental organization with a rule of law mandate, we welcome the priorities you have set out at a time when persistent and emerging conflicts continue to drive displacement and exert pressure on the humanitarian system. The question before us is not only how to respond to displacement, but how to respond more effectively, protecting people when they are forced to flee while creating the conditions that enable them to rebuild their lives and move towards lasting solutions. From IDLO's perspective, investing in the rule of law and ensuring access to justice are essential parts of that response. For refugees and displaced people, the rule of law is not an abstract concept. It determines whether they can obtain legal identity and documentation, access services, resolve disputes, protect their property, and seek remedies when they experience discrimination or violence. Effective rule of law systems at home can also reduce the conflicts and pressures that force people to flee in the first place. Allow me to offer three ways the rule of law can deliver results. First, the rule of law contributes directly to prevention. By providing accessible ways to resolve disputes, seek redress, and hold duty bearers accountable, effective justice institutions help address tensions and grievances before they escalate. In the Sahel, for example, IDLO works with national justice institutions to reduce impunity, pretrial detention times, and case backlogs, strengthening their capacity to respond to grievances. Improving access to fair and timely justice helps reduce pressures that can contribute to conflict, irregular migration, and violent extremism. Second, the rule of law reinforces both protection and self-reliance. When legal frameworks are clear and institutions are accessible and effective, they create the conditions for people to participate more fully in economic and social life, rebuild their livelihoods, and reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance. Strengthening these systems can therefore support greater inclusion and help create pathways towards durable solutions. This is particularly relevant to the ambition of 50 by 35 that you, High Commissioner, have set out. Achieving this ambition will require coordinated action across the humanitarian, development, and peace sectors. The rule of law underpins each of these efforts. Third, the same is true for voluntary returns and sustainable reintegration. We strongly welcome the emphasis on investing early in countries of return. For such investment to support sustainable return, it should also help restore and strengthen the legal and institutional foundations on which returnees will depend. Returning home is not the end of displacement. Sustainable reintegration depends on people being able to access their rights, resolve disputes, and rely on institutions of justice. Strengthening these foundations can help people rebuild their lives support peaceful coexistence, and reduce the risk of renewed displacement. High Commissioner, promoting the rule of law and strengthening national and local justice capacity should be central to collective efforts to effectively respond to displacement and advance durable solutions. This means investing in legal frameworks, institutions, and justice mechanisms that are fair, accessible, effective, and able to serve refugees, displaced people, returnees, and host communities alike. This is where IDELO brings distinct added value, helping states translate protection commitments into clear legal frameworks, capable institutions, and accessible justice services that work in practice. For more than four decades, IDELO has worked with governments and communities in over 100 countries to strengthen formal and informal justice institutions and access to justice, including in fragile and conflict-affected settings. As we look towards the 2027 Global Refugee Forum, IDLO remains committed to working closely with UNHCR, member states, and partners to help translate commitments into practical results for people. By investing in justice and the rule of law, we can help create the conditions to prevent displacement and ensure that protection leads to opportunity, self-reliance leads to lasting solutions, and return can become truly sustainable. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:17:02]: Thank you very much, I now turn to ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States. ECOWAS, you have the floor. ECOWAS [1:17:11]: Your Excellency, High Commissioner, the Chair of the 77th ESCOM distinguished delegates. On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency, I extend warm greetings to you. High Commissioner, and congratulate you and your team on your appointment. We wish you a very successful tenure in office. The ECOWAS. Commission aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Democratic Republic of Congo on behalf of the African Group. West Africa continues to face deepening humanitarian challenges, armed violence against civilians, poverty, food insecurity. And climate change effects, which have triggered mass displacement in the region. As of July 2026, the region hosts 8 million displaced persons, a figure that is always on the rise. In line with the principle of burden and responsibility sharing, the ECOWAS Commission has increased financial support to member states to assist displaced populations. Recognizing the strain on host communities and the dwindling resources available, we have prioritized regional solidarity and action. We commend the generosity of national governments, host communities, and acknowledge the burdens they bear. In 2025, ECOWAS disbursed over $7 million of the budgeted $9 million to support refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, migrants, and returnees across member states. We are pleased to report ongoing collaboration with UNHCR to implement humanitarian intervention in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. To advance durable solutions, ECOWAS, in collaboration with UNHCR, has conducted a regional study that led to the development of a draft regional asylum policy. This policy aims to strengthen protection and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers while promoting innovative practices that ease the burden on host communities. We intend to validate this policy in 2027. The ECOWAS Commission, in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross, continues to advance efforts across West Africa to strengthen the implementation of international humanitarian law. This collaboration stands as a powerful testament to our shared commitment to protecting civilians affected by armed conflict, not only as a binding international obligation, but as a profound moral responsibility embraced by all stakeholders. Chair, addressing displacement demands a proactive approach to its root causes. ECOWAS places a strong emphasis on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and robust early warning systems. Through the ECOWAS Disaster Operations Center and in close collaboration with our partners, we monitor meteorological and hydrological patterns to anticipate risks. By providing timely guidance to member states, we help mitigate the impact of disasters and curb climate-induced population movements. Across the region. ECOWAS remains committed to fulfilling the GRF pledges. At the Commission, we leverage institutional frameworks, legal instruments, and diplomatic channels to promote democracy, human rights, and inclusive governance, addressing the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and building resilience across the region. We call on development partners to join the Commission and Member States in delivering solutions by making available predictable and reliable funding and finding complementary pathways to protect and empower displaced populations. The ECOWAS Commission remains steadfast in its commitment to durable solutions and will continue to work closely with UNHCR and other partners to prevent displacement, find durable solutions where displacement has occurred, and support displaced populations to strengthen their resilience. Lastly, on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency General Buhari Hamdub. I express our appreciation to UNHCR for its invaluable work. In the region and encourage continued and enhanced engagement to finding solutions that support the UNHCR 50 by 35 initiative in the region. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:22:07]: Thank you very much, Ekowas. We now turn to the Council of Europe. Council of Europe, sir, you have the floor. CoE [1:22:13]: Mr. Chairperson, High Commissioner, distinguished delegates. The Council of Europe strongly supports the UNHCR's mandate and welcomes the fruitful cooperation established with the UN Refugee Agency, which plays a vital role in promoting the Council of Europe's human rights standards within the broader asylum and migration framework. While this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Refugee Convention, a landmark instrument which fundamental principles continue to inspire our action, this collaboration has proved to be instrumental in standard setting, monitoring and capacity building activities across our 46 member states organization. The European Convention on Human Rights and the court's case law constitute the cornerstone of the continent's system of human rights protection. On the Article 1 of the Convention, states are bound to secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the rights and freedoms defined herein. The term "everyone" covers non-nationals, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. The European Court of Human Rights remains the ultimate legal recourse for the protection of life and dignity of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe. The protection it provides, notably from non-refoulement and Article 3 of the Convention, has proved to be vital in practice and includes protection from ill-treatment emanating from state and non-state actors, as well as situations of generalised violence. Particularly important have also been the safeguards set by the Court's case law concerning refugees' family life and unity. The Council of Europe's action continues to focus on the needs and protection of around 5 million war-displaced Ukrainians, including children and women, who find themselves in the member states. The missions carried out in 2026 by the Council of Europe confirmed that after four years, European states' responses to the needs of war-displaced Ukrainians can still be characterised as timely, adequate and multifaceted. Confronted with many unprecedented challenges, governmental and civil society support systems have facilitated smooth reception and effective integration for the displaced, addressing complex social and economic needs. The Ukrainian communities present in Council of Europe member states already before 2022 have also contributed significantly to these efforts, providing a familiar and protected environment for the war-displaced persons. Nevertheless, many challenges persist, including those related to Ukrainians' access to labour market, the recognition of professional and academic qualifications, and the protection of vulnerable persons such as children, including those unaccompanied. With a view of addressing these often complex issues, the Council of Europe offers and provides support and assistance to its member states in order to further enhance reception, protection, and integration of all displaced Ukrainians. To outline a few concrete examples, allow me to mention the European Qualification Passport for Refugees, which is based on the Council of Europe Lisbon Recognition Convention, the Council of Europe the Council of Europe intercultural cities program, which had established a network of 160 cities, regions and local authorities around the world, aiming to enhance diversity through the exchange of practical experiences and support each other in creating local and inclusive communities, and the Council of Europe human rights education for legal professionals help program, especially its free online courses on issues related to vulnerable persons in the context of migration, gender equality, mental health and alternatives to detention. The Council of Europe reiterated its staunch support to the UNHCR and its global action, including through the implementation of its pledges to the Global Compact on Refugees, which advance the objectives of the Compact in the crucial areas of statelessness, health, intercultural inclusion, gender equality and protection. In this view, we look forward to the further development and strengthening of our excellent and concrete cooperation aimed at protecting the rights of refugees and migrants and ensuring safe and conducive environment for these particularly vulnerable groups. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:26:09]: Thank you very much, Council of Europe. I now turn to the Gulf Cooperation Council of Arab States, GCC. You have the floor. GCC [1:26:21]: The. High Commissioner, Mr. Salhi, and to wish him every success as he participates for the first time in an ExCom. I applaud his efforts since he has taken up his functions. The GCC commends the ambition of the High Commissioner to assist refugees and asylum seekers and to alleviate their suffering and find sustainable solutions. We wish to thank all of the staff of UNHCR who are conducting their humanitarian duties in complex and difficult contexts. The GCC reiterates its commitment to the principles underpinning the convention to protect refugees, asylum seekers, and those who are forcibly displaced. I believe that we must preserve the human dignity of refugees throughout the world with no distinction whatsoever. This is a shared responsibility, and the GCC member states are sparing no resources for this. We have mobilized millions of dollars over recent years. And we have launched partnerships with the private sector, so public-private partnerships, and also with the international sector. President, armed conflicts are multiplying and humanitarian needs are multiplying as well. This jeopardizes the sustainability of vital programs These constraints concern refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, but also the host states and transit states, because they are seeing that they now have issues in providing basic services. And I call upon the international community to see a sharing of this burden. And we welcome the contributions which have been made to support host countries which are low-income or middle-income countries. It is equally important to make sure that these states are involved in decision-making processes, any decisions relating to hosting refugees, and to take account of their priorities and their specific needs and assist them in building up their infrastructure. Settling displacement issues needs to start at the grassroots level. It needs to be done through development, dialogue, and preserving human dignity. These are key components to combat this phenomenon and to alleviate its impact. And this is what we work on at the GCC. We advocate an integrated approach which brings together human rights and development concerns. We are concerned at the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people. It is vital that we work together to ensure that humanitarian assistance can arrive with no impediment, that we protect humanitarian staff, that we prevent forced displacement and that we prepare the way for refugees and displaced persons to be able to return. We thank the high commissioner for his efforts to reduce the number of refugees in protracted situations. We should study this objective carefully and to give priority to development aid. Work must be pursued on sustainable solutions to provide for voluntary, safe, dignified return And for this, we need reconstruction, we need to improve services in the countries of origin to make sure that refugees can return in a safe manner. To conclude, we support the efforts of UNHCR and we await impatiently the next global refugee forum, which is very important, uh, occasion to give priority to humanitarian issues to alleviate suffering of refugees throughout the world. ExCom · Chair [1:31:12]: We will now hear from the Sovereign Order of Malta, after which we will return to the High Commissioner for his comments. The Sovereign Order of Malta, Madam, you have the floor. SMOM [1:31:22]: Mr. President, High Commissioner, distinguished delegates, my delegation thanks the High Commissioner for his wide-ranging opening statement and his extensive commitment to his new mandate. Active in many of the countries he refers to, the Sovereign Order of Malta shares the concerns regarding the crisis described. While reaffirming the importance of access to protection and on refulement, we recognize the considerable financial and resource pressures faced by host states accommodating large numbers of refugees. We support the High Commissioner's call to strengthen and expand the international financial architecture through new partnerships, including with the private sector. Responsibility must extend beyond host countries through international resource sharing and solidarity. The High Commissioner identified mixed movements as one of the toughest challenges for states. The Order of Malta supports comprehensive solutions that address the entire journey, not just the border. These include strengthening asylum systems, expanding safe and legal pathways through resettlement, family reunification, education and employment, and fostering cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination. Through its humanitarian diplomacy and global field experience, the Order of Malta combines advocacy with action, connecting international and local partners to reach vulnerable people affected by conflict and instability. These efforts must always uphold international law and human dignity. The Order of Malta's worldwide humanitarian activities place a strong focus on refugees and IDPs. Allow me to mention some of our life-saving efforts and work undertaken in close cooperation with international relief agency, Malteser International. The Order of Malta has been operating in Ukraine since the start of the conflict, providing emergency relief supplies and life-saving assistance, including but not limited to legal services, emergency water distribution, and psychosocial support. Numerous projects in neighboring countries also provide medical care and social assistance to refugees. In South Sudan, aid projects for the benefit of Sudanese refugees focus on the areas of nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene. In Uganda's Nakivale settlement, we provide emergency healthcare to nearly 270,000 refugees living alongside host communities. These efforts strengthen national systems rather than create parallel structures. Our work in the Middle East focuses particularly on refugees and internally displaced persons. In Gaza, in collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Order of Malta distributes non-perishable food and essential supplies to the local population in need and has recently established a primary healthcare clinic. In Lebanon, our nationwide presence enables us to support displaced communities with healthcare, food and shelter. We welcome the High Commissioner's reference to making better use of technology, data, and artificial intelligence. These advances can offer opportunities in supporting forcibly displaced persons and strengthen the capacity of humanitarian personnel working on the ground. Finally, the Order of Malta is honored by the invitation extended by the High Commissioner and the President of Religions for Peace to join the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders. We look forward to this spiritual engagement to strengthen the protection, dignity, social cohesion, and resilience of displaced populations. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:35:20]: Sir, thank you very much for your statement. And now we turn to you, High Commissioner, for your response. High Commissioner, please. UNHCR · High Commissioner [1:35:27]: Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me start by thanking Pakistan for focusing on durable solutions. in the statement that you presented, both to prevent future displacement through conflict prevention and also reverse it so that refugees can safely return. And of course, let me thank you for your generous and longstanding hosting of Afghan refugees, despite many challenges, and welcome your commitment to enable legalized stay and continued protection for those who are in need. I also echo your call for enhanced resettlement and complementary pathways, and we also look forward to working closely with you in operationalizing our 50 by 35. Ghana, thank you for your strong statement on refugee inclusion and self-reliance and durable solutions, and I welcome Ghana Refugee Agribusiness and Sustainability Program, which brings refugees and host communities together through shared livelihoods, resilience, and social cohesions. To Georgia, it's important you're reconfirming your commitment to the international protection and for welcoming our priorities, including the 50 by 35. Addressing root causes is going to be crucial to meeting our vision, and we are also grateful for strengthening your asylum system and the inclusion approach you have taken in the response. Thank you, Israel, for your statement and for recognizing our crucial work around the world and for your support to our 50 by 35 vision. I note that stating your approach follows the same approach of sustainable and inclusive responses that strengthen community resilience and national services. Ravi, indeed, is not to be a permanent status, and we look forward to working with all member states to address root causes to enable durable solutions. Thank you, Equatorial Guinea, for your statement. I welcome your commitment to develop national systems and international protection legislation. We stand ready to provide technical support in this regard, and we also appreciate the call for predictable international solidarity and responsibility sharing. to support African states hosting and protecting displaced persons. Thank you, Myanmar, for your comments and importantly, for your commitment to receive displaced persons back. That is an important commitment that we take note of and we no doubt seek to work closely to make ensure we can move forward. Myanmar remains a key priority for UNHCR given the scale of displacement within the country and across the region. Tripartite agreements to enable those returns are important and we hope we can see them advance, including a stronger and more security, and more security to enable safe, voluntary and sustained returns. We will continue to work closely with all communities and partners across Myanmar to provide protection, assistance and support pathways towards lasting and safe solutions to refugees displaced and stateless persons. Thank you, Tunisia, for calling on the need to invest in partnerships and responsibility sharing to hosting countries, but also transit countries, as you have flagged. I was very heartened also to hear you comment on the need to preserve the 1951 Convention principles and protecting refugees, and thank you for committing to your continued engagement with UNHCR. I will follow up, we as UNHCR will follow up on that commitment and that is very much welcome a statement. Thank you, Colombia, for your partnership and leadership, including as a co-sponsor of the Global Refugee Forum and your offer to support the next group of lead countries and share its experience to help key priorities of the Americas at the center of global refugee agenda. We hear your concern on the impact of financial constraints on our operations in Colombia and will remain closely engaged with the government to prioritize protection and solutions while working collectively to mobilize the resources and technical capacity required. Let me please also add a word of special thanks to our rapporteur, Laura, for steering us so well towards excom and its conclusions the two conclusions are critically important and we too hope they turn into effective implementation thank you again Laura Thank you, IDLO, for recalling the importance of investing in the rule of law. The key priorities you highlight on preventing displacement by addressing grievances and impunity, strengthening legal frameworks to support protection and self-reliance, and investing early in justice institutions in return countries to enable sustainable reintegration are indeed important and important to respond effectively to displacement. Thank you, ECOWAS, for your statement. And the challenges in your region are very serious, undoubtedly so. Your increased financial support to states is much appreciated. Your policy work to ease pressure on hosting states is also noted with appreciation. ECOWAS Disaster Response Center works on anticipating risks, and timely guidance is also critical. Thank you for your commitment and to continue to work closely with us. And we will follow up on some very important conversations that we had last time we met with the Secretary General and the leadership of ECOWAS. Thank you to the Council of Europe and for your partnership with us on standard setting, monitoring and capacity building. The European Convention on Human Rights is indeed an important additional tool for refugee protection, and the court's work is important, and your support to UNHCR is highly appreciated. Thank you. To the Gulf Cooperation Council, thank you for your support. Thank you for your commitment to the principles of international refugee protection, and the mobilization of private sector in your region, in addition to other funding, is critically important. Thank you. also to responding to protracted displacement situations, as you have mentioned. And thank you to the Order of Malta's partnership and for your generous words of support. Your practical work on the ground shows how principled humanitarian action can reach people facing the greatest risks. I am grateful for the order's commitment to comprehensive responses to mixed movements. I also look forward to working with you through the multi-religious council of leaders to strengthen dignity, social cohesion and resilience for displaced people. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ExCom · Chair [1:42:50]: Thank you very much, High Commissioner. We now return to the speakers list and we will hear now from IFRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC, you have the floor. IFRC [1:43:02]: Mr. Chair, High Commissioner, distinguished delegates, on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, we congratulate the High Commissioner on his, on your, first Executive Committee. UNHCR and the IFRC have a long-standing history of partnership, dating back to the establishment of UNHCR, as illustrated by the awarding of the Nansen Refugee Award to the then League of Red Cross Societies in 1957. With 191 national societies, 200,000 local branches, and more than 18 million volunteers around the world, many of whom are refugees and displaced people themselves, we are present before during and after displacement. 75 years on, the 1951 Refugee Convention remains the foundation of international protection for refugees. We, the IFRC, join the High Commissioner in calling on States to uphold access to asylum and the principle of non-refoulement in law and in practice, and to share responsibility for meeting today's challenges. Mr. Chair, we would like to highlight three priorities. First, improved support for locally led action. UNHCR's work and millions of refugees and displaced people every year at the local level. Last year at the Executive Committee, we warned that as international organizations scale down or depart entirely, national societies and other local actors are being asked to do significantly more with the same or less resources. That pressure has only grown. As UNHCR's largest local partner network, working with UNHCR in over 50 countries around the world, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with UNHCR in line with the Humanitarian Reset and our Grand Bargain commitments. Second, ensuring protection where people are. Saving lives, preventing deaths and disappearances, reducing exposure to harm, must remain a central priority. The Secretary-General's recommendation on saving lives and missing migrants, the development of which we co-led with UNHCR, IOM and the ICRC, and which States have committed to operationalize, set out what is needed. Through the route-based approach and our National Society humanitarian service points, we are putting these recommendations into practice, providing life-saving assistance and protection across borders and along routes. Third, renewed commitment and ambition. As highlighted by the High Commissioner, humanitarian assistance saves lives and remains indispensable. But it is also important that those who have been displaced can rebuild and recover their agency. This year, we launched the IFRC Global Migration and Displacement Platform, our network's commitment to do more across the full spectrum of displacement through coordinated, principled and locally led action. We invite states and partners to support this ambition and approach. Looking forward to the High Commissioner's Dialogue this December and towards the Global Refugee Forum in 2027, protection along routes, locally led action, meaningful participation, and supporting climate action for those displaced must be central global priorities for attention and action. Mr. Chair, protection space is narrowing. Funding is not only shrinking, but shifting. Local, principled humanitarian action matters more, not less. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:47:47]: Thank you very much, the IFRC. We will now hear from the IOC, the International Olympic Committee. IOC, you have the floor. IOC [1:47:55]: Chair, High Commissioner, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. At a time when humanitarian crises are continuing to force millions of people from their homes, we are reminded that responding to such a crisis requires every available tool and partner. For the International Olympic Committee, that tool is sport. As we collectively consider how people forced to flee can move beyond aid dependency towards durable solutions and self-reliance, we welcome very much the High Commissioner's, Mr. Salas, Vision 50 by 35, and UNHCR continued commitment in advancing collective solutions for people who are displaced. The International Olympic Committee established the Olympic Refugee Foundation based on a simple belief that sport can restore what crisis takes away. We remain committed to ensuring that people affected by displacement can have access to safe, protective, and inclusive opportunities through sport. This commitment was reaffirmed during the recent meeting between the IOC President, Coventry, and the High Commissioner at the Olympic House in Lausanne. Last year, the Olympic Refugee Foundation provided over $4 million for the Safe Sport programming. This year, we have launched eight new initiatives in Palestine, Syria, Brazil, and across Africa. Our Sport Coach Plus program has also expanded to Kenya. Through the Mayor's Migration Council, we have committed an additional 2.25 USD million to sport for inclusion program across five cities. We remain dedicated to supporting refugee athletes so they can compete on the world stage. In few weeks, in fact, six athletes will represent the Refugee Olympic Team at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. And ahead of LA 28, more than 60 athletes are benefiting from the Olympic Solidarity scholarship to pursue their sporting ambition. The Sport for Refugees Coalition, which we co-convene with the UNHCR, now brings together more than 200 members committed inclusion and creating opportunities for displaced people. For young people rebuilding their lives after displacement, sport can help restore confidence and connection with their host communities. We are encouraged by the growing recognition that sport can contribute meaningfully to a shared objective across humanitarian and development responses, but the recognition remains fragmented. The International Olympic Committee, through the Olympic Refugee Foundation, remains committed to supporting local leadership, elevating the voices of people with lived experience, and working with partners to make safe sport more accessible. Looking ahead to the High-Level Official Meeting in December and the Global Refugee Forum next year, we call on all Member States and participants to implement sport-based solutions to advance the inclusion and well-being of refugees and displaced people globally. Together, let's ensure that sport is seen not just as a nice to have, but as an affordable, accessible, and evidence-based tool, which gives young people a place to show up and a community where they belong. Thank you very much. ExCom · Chair [1:51:43]: Thank you very much, IOC. We will now hear from the UN Volunteers. UN Volunteers, you have the floor. UNV [1:51:50]: Mr. Chair, High Commissioner, distinguished delegates, I am honored to address the Executive Committee on behalf of the United Nations Volunteers, UNV. Established by the General Assembly in 1970, UNV contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. As a system-wide service entity, UNV deploys UN Volunteers across the United Nations system, including in support of refugees and the communities that host them. For 75 years, UNHCR has stood with those forced to flee. For nearly 50 of those years, UN Volunteers have stood alongside UNHCR. Through this long-standing and strategic partnership, UN Volunteers support UNHCR's mandate to protect refugees, deliver humanitarian assistance, and pursue durable solutions. Over the past decade, some 4,000 UN Volunteers have served with UNHCR in refugee protection and humanitarian action. In 2025 alone, more than 750 UN Volunteers served with UNHCR in 69 countries, many of them affected by war and conflict. Their contribution is concrete. In Brazil, UN Volunteers have assisted Venezuelan refugees in Boa Vista and across the Amazon region and supported the response to the Rio Grande do Sul floods, which affected 2.4 million people in a state hosting some 43,000 refugees and other people in need of international protection. In eastern Chad, They have supported Sudanese refugees through biometric pre-registration, urgent healthcare, and relocation from border areas such as Tine to refugee camps. In Rwanda, they have served as interpreters in the Kiziba and Mahama camps, supporting protection, registration, and resettlement processes. Mr. Chair, Refugees are not merely passive beneficiaries of assistance. They can also be active agents of positive change in their own and host communities. In line with the Global Compact on Refugees, UNV and UNHCR launched the Refugee UN Volunteers Initiative in 2018 to engage refugees as UN volunteers with UNHCR and other UN entities. Refugee UN Volunteers contribute to the work of their host entities while bringing positive change to their own communities. To date, more than 200 refugees have served as UN Volunteers. In Jordan, 33 refugees served as UN Volunteers in the Zaatari and Azraq camps as electrical and site assistants, photographers, interpreters, and playground assistants. They strengthened camp services for thousands of refugees. In Romania, refugees from Ukraine contribute to community mobilization, information management, and protection. Refugee UN volunteers also serve in Kenya, Sudan, Mexico, Czech Republic, Cameroon, and Egypt, strengthening community engagement and inclusion. Each of them demonstrates that refugees are not passive beneficiaries of aid, but agents of change in their communities. UNV and UNHCR remain committed to engaging refugees as UN volunteers across the United Nations system, as pledged at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum. Volunteerism strengthens trust, solidarity, and social cohesion between refugees and host communities, and creates opportunities for meaningful participation. UNV reaffirms its steadfast support to UNHCR and to its 50 by 35 vision to help more than half of refugees in protracted displacement move beyond aid by 2035. Service as UN Volunteers builds skills, experience, and networks that support self-reliance. Through the power of volunteerism, we will continue to work so that no refugee is left behind. Mr. Chair, in closing, the General Assembly, in resolution 78/127, proclaimed 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. UNV takes this opportunity to express its sincere appreciations to volunteers worldwide, including refugees, stateless persons, and members of host communities whose dedication and service contribute to refugee protection, emergency response, and the pursuit of durable solutions. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [1:57:32]: Thank you for your statement, UNV. We will now turn to the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. FAO, you have the floor. FAO [1:57:43]: FAO warmly welcomes the High Commissioner to his first Executive Committee session and looks forward to deepening our collaboration under his leadership. We thank him for his inaugural address and welcome his call to measure success by the lives peoples are able to rebuild. The urgency is clear. The latest global report on food crisis highlights 86% of forcibly displaced people lived in food crisis countries or territories in 2025. Rural livelihoods are particularly relevant. In Africa, for example, 86% of refugees lived in rural settings in 2024. In rural displacement contexts, agriculture is a cornerstone of food security, dignity, and self-reliance, and a pathway towards durable solutions. Displaced people bring skills as farmers, livestock keepers, fishers, entrepreneurs and workers. With secure access to land, productive assets, services and markets, they can produce food, earn incomes and strengthen local economies. FAO therefore welcomes the 50 by 35 vision. Progress must mean that people can sustainably meet their needs with dignity and protection. Our collaboration with UNHCR and hosting governments provides a good foundation. Through joint support to agricultural livelihoods and financial inclusion in Cameroon and Kenya, forest restoration and environmental protection in Uganda and Bangladesh, and livelihood recovery for refugee returnees in Nigeria. The upcoming renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between UNHCR and FAO and our plan of action reaffirms this partnership and sets out cooperation at global, regional, and country levels to advance the 50 by 35 vision. FAO aims to contribute in three main ways. First, strengthening livelihoods and economic opportunities. We will support climate-resilient production, restore productive assets, and connect refugees and host communities to agricultural value chain, employment, and markets. Second, advancing inclusion. We will work with governments and partners to address barriers to land, agricultural services, and livelihood opportunities. and support the inclusion of displaced people in agricultural programs and development investments. Supporting refugees and host communities together can strengthen social cohesion and ease pressure on natural resources. Third, generating evidence of progress. With UNHCR, we aim to strengthen joint analysis and track improvements in food security, incomes and resilience so that reduced dependence reflects better lives. Agricultural investment can deliver food and income while protecting livelihoods against shocks. We call on partners to pair essential humanitarian assistance with sustained livelihood investment and anticipatory action. As we mark the Refugee Convention's 75th anniversary and look towards the 2027 Global Refugee Forum, FAO reaffirms its commitment to putting displaced people at the center of our partnership with UNHCR. Our shared task is to support people to recover their agency, rebuild their livelihoods, and shape their futures. Success means people living with dignity, making meaningful choices, and finding lasting solutions. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:01:50]: Thank you very much, FAO. We now turn to the World Food Programme, WFP. You have the floor. WFP [2:01:59]: High Commissioner, Following from my sister from the Food and Agriculture Organization, it's also looking at the full perspective of food insecurity. At a time when displacement and humanitarian needs remain at record levels, we warmly welcome your leadership and wealth of experience at this period of significant change. The partnership with UNHCR is at the very core of the World Food Program's work. For decades, our organizations have worked side by side to address the critical food security and protection needs of refugees and other forcibly displaced, while contributing to pathways to self-reliance for refugees, again, as mentioned by FAO. Together, we have supported millions of people affected by conflict and displacement while advancing innovative, effective, and sustainable approaches to humanitarian response. In 2025, the World Food Program assisted 12 million refugees across 42 countries with support that is valued at approximately $1.7 billion U.S. We continue to allocate more than 20% of our flexible and unearmarked funds to support critical refugee operations. At this moment, WFP and UNHCR and our humanitarian partners are facing growing demands amid significant funding constraints. The situation facing The refugees. refugee food assistance is more severe even than just one year ago, resulting in fewer refugees assisted despite continued high levels of food insecurity. Over the next six months, WFP aims to continue assisting 10.6 million refugees across 38 countries. These operations require $1.5 billion, which remains two-thirds unfunded. Reductions in food assistance can have serious consequences for food security protection, as families may reduce diet quality, take on debt, withdraw children from school, or resort to different forms of labor. Women and girls face increased risk of violence and exploitation. In some contexts, reduced assistance has been reported as a contributing factor to onward movement. WFP welcomes the ambition reflected in 50 by 35 to reduce to reduce need for humanitarian assistance through greater inclusion and self-reliance. Together with UNHCR and our partners, WFP supports government-led approaches combining essential food assistance with social protection, livelihoods, skills development, and access to finance and markets. In Kenya, Uganda, Chad, Ethiopia, and Burundi, WFP and UNHCR are working closely with government leadership and coordinated support from partners to advance inclusion and pathways towards greater resilience. WFP is committed to continued partnership with UNHCR in both contexts of emergencies and where self-reliance is possible. As the High Commissioner has emphasized, progress should be measured by improvements in refugees' lives and the ability to meet their own needs. At the same time, continued support remains essential for refugees who are not yet able to meet their basic needs. Advancing this work will require the leadership of refugee hosting governments supported by flexible, predictable, and multi-year financing to meet immediate needs and strengthen national systems. High Commissioner, the World Food Program reaffirms its strong commitment to our partnership. We look forward to working closely with UNHCR and all of our partners to meet immediate needs, advance refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and contribute to the pursuit of durable solutions. Thank you, sir. ExCom · Chair [2:05:36]: Thank you very much for your statement, WFP. We now turn to the United Nations Population Fund. You have the floor, madam, please. UNFPA [2:05:46]: Thank you very much, High Commissioner. I'm honored to address this Executive Committee on behalf of UNFPA Executive Director, Jenny Cater. As a system-wide lead for gender-based violence, UNFPA is unwavering in our commitment to ensure that we consistently prioritize protection for all population groups, including refugees, internally displaced persons, migrants, and stateless populations. Our close collaboration with UNHCR in refugee settings and mixed settings reflects our shared commitment to survivor-centered, rights-based protection. UNFPA reiterates the call made by other speakers with regards to the need to address statelessness. Stateless women and girls are often invisible to national health systems and legal frameworks, which systematically hamper the achievement of better sexual reproductive health outcomes and protection from gender-based violence. Statelessness structurally impedes the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and our collective pledge to leave no one behind. Because legal recognition is a prerequisite for realizing reproductive rights, UNFPA emphasizes the need for firewalls that separate healthcare from legal status, ensuring that marginalized populations are not excluded from sexual reproductive health services or justice simply due to a lack of documentation. As the lack of a birth registration contributes to statelessness, we underscore the importance of inclusive censuses that capture these invisible populations. Late last year, UNFPA joined the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, because for UNFPA, statelessness is not just a legal anomaly, it's a structural barrier to human rights and development. We would also like to underscore our support to the 50 by 35 vision under the Global Compact of Refugees. As part of the commitments we made during the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, UNFPA is already championing inclusive censuses that reflect refugee populations, advocating against gender discriminatory national laws, and ensuring access to essential sexual reproductive health and gender-based violence services for refugees and other displaced persons. As we begin to look towards Global Refugee Forum 2027, we reiterate UNFPA's commitment to supporting refugee and other displaced populations through both our humanitarian and development work. Finally, UNFPA remains committed to ensuring the effectiveness of the consolidated global protection cluster. We have been working closely with UNHCR to ensure that the process of simplification continues to ensure the prioritization of gender-based violence as the most frequently reported protection concern in humanitarian contexts and the most recurring human rights violation worldwide. Building on our experience of leading the GBV area of responsibility and its role in supporting the leadership of local and national actors in coordination mechanisms, We also remain committed to working within the protection cluster to support the participation, leadership, and access to funding for local actors, in particularly women-led organizations, including those led by forcibly displaced women and girls. High Commissioner, we continue to face a global protection crisis marked by rising attacks on civilians, on health facilities, including maternity wards. schools and on women's and girls' safe spaces, sexual violence as a weapon of war continues unabated. The protection needs of women and girls has never been higher. In 2026, UNFPA estimates that 84 million need gender-based violence protection and response services. These are women and girls, including refugees, who have experienced or are at risk of sexual violence, forced marriage, and trafficking into sexual exploitation. At this moment, addressing these growing needs requires strong partnerships and alliances, and most of all, a collective commitment to ensuring that these issues do not go overlooked or become secondary concerns. but rather remain central to a principled and effective response to protect the lives, health, and well-being of all crisis-affected people. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:10:37]: Thank you very much, UNFPA, for your statement. We now turn to the International Organization for Migration, IOM. IOM, you have the floor. IOM [2:10:46]: Thank you, Chair, High Commissioner, distinguished delegates. I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Executive Committee on behalf of the IOM. At a time when the international system is being asked to do more with less, it is more important than ever that agencies such as UNHCR and IOM cooperate and coordinate effectively. Allow me to highlight four examples of such effective cooperation today. First, on migration governance, IOM greatly values UNHCR's active participation in the UN Migration Network, which includes ensuring complementarity between the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact for Refugees. Today, for example, we are working particularly closely with UNHCR, UNICEF, and IFRC as the UN Migration Network responds to requests from the General Assembly for strengthened collaboration between states and partners along major migratory routes. Second, on internal displacement, IOM, UNDP, and UNHCR jointly work as IDP durable solution champions with a shared goal to provide coherent support to governments to help translate their priorities into tangible improvements for displaced people, grounded in national ownership, development planning, and participation of displaced persons and communities. Third, on data. Our close cooperation with UNHCR is helping to translate the ambitions of UNAT and the humanitarian reset into tangible progress, from advancing interoperability and common standards to providing joint leadership on the responsible use of AI with the ultimate goal of delivering more effective and joined up actions on the ground. Fourth, on efficiencies, IOM is working closely with the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies to shift UN procurement and delivery of essential humanitarian goods to a shared model. In this regard, we are collating with UNHCR on harmonized procurement of core relief items in emergency settings. In closing, please allow me to extend our congratulations to you, High Commissioner, on your first Executive Committee session. IOM looks forward to continuing our strong partnership with UNHCR, recognizing our respective mandates and our shared commitment to delivering for people on the move. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:13:15]: Thank you very much, IOM. We now turn to the World Bank. The World Bank, you have the floor. Do we have the World Bank in the room? If not, we turn to the Economic Community of Central African States. You have the floor. ECCAS [2:13:49]: Thank you, President. President, High Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Economic Community of Central African States, ECAS, I wish to address our warmest congratulations to Mr. Bahams Sahli for having been elected to preside over UNHCR. This 77th session is taking place at a critical point in time to face up to the tasks of shrinking financing. We need to give privileged place to more autonomy for refugees and sustainable solutions rather than purely providing humanitarian assistance. ECAS and UNHCR should cooperate precisely along those lines, as we have convergent views. We need to deal with urgent responses and issues of peace and security, but beyond that, we have had to move towards human development and social dimensions. We are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Convention, and now we need to ensure the future of our institutional partnership along these strategic lines. Given the underfinancing, the lack of financing for the humanitarian aspects, we need to align UNHCR's priorities with those of ECAS, putting human and social development at the heart of protection. key complementary distinct instruments have concretised this commitment and have allowed the Liberail office of UNHCR to be strengthened in its role. These regional efforts are absolutely vital. These regional agreements are absolutely vital. We need to evolve the refugee status to provide legal and social identity which protects individuals And this means we need official recognition. The ultimate objective is to see a shift in perceptions of refugees and stateless persons, to not look at them from a point of view of fear and rather to look at all individuals who have displaced as potential added value to our societies, to look at economic opportunities. projects for regional policies aimed to transform vulnerability into resilience and to transform assistance into self-sufficiency. High Commissioner, for this strategic change to become a reality, for results to be achieved with this new approach, we need to strengthen the resources of the Libreville office. This will allow us to promote these strategic priorities so that we can achieve these objectives and implement these innovative regional instruments that we have. President, given the increasing challenges and the shrinking finances, we reassert the fact that forcibly displaced persons are our collective responsibility and we require regional solidarity. We must have an Afrocentric response, mobilizing sustainable financing and helping community-based solutions to emerge. It is clear what is at stake. We need to move away from protracted assistance to sustainability of systems for refugees, displaced persons, and their host communities to promote social cohesion and regional integration in Central Africa. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:17:59]: Thank you very much for your statement, Ekas. I understand that the World Bank is now with us, so I would like to call on the World Bank. World Bank, you have the floor. WBG [2:18:12]: Mr. Chairs, Your Excellencies, let me first apologize for this delay. Against a backdrop of persistent displacement challenges and increasing pressure on humanitarian systems, the importance of collective action and durable solutions has become increasingly evident. I would like first, on behalf of the World Bank Group, to strongly recognize and appreciate host countries for their tremendous efforts of extending critical protection and supporting those affected by forced displacement in an environment of declining external resources. Let me also thank the High Commissioner for his vision and his leadership at a time of intense pressure on the international refugee protection and humanitarian system. The World Bank welcomes and fully supports the 50 by 35 ambition to enable refugees in protracted displacement to move beyond aid dependency. From our perspective, this is about supporting solutions, including voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable returns where they are possible. It is about moving towards greater self-reliance for those who cannot return yet through jobs, and inclusion in national service delivery systems. And it is about preventing the emergence of a new generation of aid-dependent refugees by looking for solutions and self-reliance from the start of new crises. Most importantly, this is about a shift, a shift towards government leadership, which we strongly support, and a continued focus on genuine responsibility sharing. External support continues to be needed at scale. And we also need to enhance this support by ensuring that it is predictable, less fragmented, and to the extent possible, channeled through government systems, so that it can support reforms that reduce the cost of hosting, such as enabling freedom of movement, opening access to jobs, and moving away from expensive and unsustainable parallel systems, as may be possible and desirable in each context. For the World Bank Group, reducing long-term aid dependency is fundamentally a development and jobs challenge to strengthen national systems, local economies, and markets. This aligns closely with our broader institutional focus on jobs and with our refreshed strategy for fragility, conflict, and violence, which place strong emphasis on job creation. So investment in foundational infrastructure, both physical and human, policies that enable economic participation and a conducive business environment and private investment and domestic enterprise in conflict-affected settings. Jobs require more than capital mobilization. They require policies that enable economic participation and mobility alongside skills, infrastructure, finance, and functioning markets. And this is where the combined strength of the World Bank Group's matter. The World Bank itself can support government with policy reform, institutions, human capital, and infrastructure, while IFC, which is a private sector arm of the World Bank Group, can help mobilize private investment and develop markets that generate jobs and opportunities. Our partnership with UNHCR remains very strong at the center of our engagement on forced displacement. And it includes initiatives such as the IFC-UNHCR joint initiative on jobs and investment, or the joint data center that can further support these efforts. But it is obviously not limited to these initiatives, and it is also translated with concrete action on the ground in a number of countries that we've decided to focus on, but also beyond. So let me also take this opportunity to thank these countries that are contributing to some of our key financing instruments, the IDA window for host communities and refugees, and the global concessional financing facility, as well as IFC's work to mobilize private capital and deliver innovative solution. Your support has been transformational, and it is critical to our continued engagement in support of 50 by 35. Still, Development aid cannot be a substitute for humanitarian assistance. It cannot be a substitute for humanitarian assistance. There is a continued need for emergency support for protection, endurable solutions, and for support to enable an orderly transition from humanitarian practices to development program. This is where the complementarity of our work with UNHCR and other partners is key. As the High Commissioner and many member states have noted, The current crisis compels us to move urgently on this agenda. For young refugees growing up in exile, any additional year without opportunity is a tragedy that will have lasting impacts. While 50 by 35 can be expressed in numerical terms, let us not forget that this is fundamentally about people, about people living in dire situations, and about finding ways to better support them. We are committed to playing our full role in this effort, and we look forward to further working in close partnership with UNHCR, governments, and other partners to translate the 50 by 35 ambition into country-led results. Thank you very much. ExCom · Chair [2:23:55]: Thank you very much for your statement, the World Bank. We will now hear from the International Institute for Human Rights, Environment, and Development before we turn back to the High Commissioner for his response. So please, you have the floor. Speaker 62 [2:24:14]: The. ExCom · Chair [2:24:17]: NGO statement. Do we have the representative in the room? NGO · NGOs [2:24:22]: Dear Chairs, Excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues, I have the honour to speak on behalf of NGOs, many led by forcibly displaced and stateless persons. We meet at a moment of great urgency. The unprecedented scale of forced displacement continues. With millions fleeing conflicts, violence, and an increasing number displaced by disasters. Behind each figure stands a family facing the same choice, to stay, to flee, or to move once again. Unfortunately, when responsibility sharing is needed most, we are seeing less and less of it. Those country hostings, the majority of refugees have been generously doing so for decades. Yet, opportunities for resettlement are at an all-time low. The necessary funding to meet needs is in free fall, while the percentage of earmarked is rising. Asking UNHCR to prioritize while providing tightly earmarked funding is not just counterproductive. It places UNHCR's ability to fulfill its mandate at risk. You are asking UNHCR to do the impossible. As the Refugee Convention turns 75, externalization policies, unsafe returns, and growing restriction on access to asylum undermine the protection that the Convention was designed to secure. These developments are not inevitable. They are choices. The decisions made in this room will echo across refugee settlements, camps and urban settings, impacting for the better or worse those most at risk, such as women, children, survivors of violence, LGBTIQ+, SOGIESC refugees, refugees with disability and older persons. We know that the current challenges appear intractable, but it is precisely when it is hard that it matters the most. Now, more than ever, we need to see collective action, solidarity and partnership, not fragmentation and polarizations. As humanitarians, we all know what is at stake. We therefore urge collective action on the following priorities. First, to states, we ask you to provide flexible, multi-year, unearmarked contributions to UNHCR. And our ask to UNHCR is to keep sustainably and fairly funding local and national partners. Second, uphold the Refugee Convention in practice. We see the Convention clearly and with concern. Externalisation arrangements that transfer responsibility are not the answer. We urge States to respect the principle and practice of non-refoulement and ensure returns are voluntary, safe, dignified and independently monitored. Third, share responsibility fairly and with due respect to the generosity of states already hosting large numbers of refugees in protracted displacement, anchor responsibility sharing in the Convention, effectively promote a whole of society approach, restore resettlement, family reunification, and other complementary pathways, thereby genuinely uphold the true spirit of the Global Compact for Refugees. NGOs support the High Commissioner vision of 50 by 35, but we must see stronger emphasis on the pursuit of durable solutions as well as self-reliance. Fourth, Even where UNHCR's footprint contracts, its protection functions, including its statelessness mandate, must remain intact and resources must follow needs. Local and refugee-led organizations are operating in an increasingly high-risk and shrinking humanitarian space. An adequate understanding of this risk must be central in response for organization and resource allocation. Fifth, we ask states and UNHCR to preserve NGO space and maintain momentum on meaningful engagement with us, especially refugee-led organizations, to ensure we can genuinely influence decision-making with our expertise. Finally, the impact of climate change on displacement should be included as a core protection response. Dear Chair, a protection system that merely manages decline is not neutral. Its consequences are plain. A clinic closes, a resettlement process halts, a family is compelled to flee again because food rations are cut, and lives are lost. And we stand ready to work with states and UNHCR to turn this recommendations into concrete action. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:30:19]: Thank you, sir. Thank you for adding the NGO perspective to our debate. And with that, I turn to you, High Commissioner. UNHCR · High Commissioner [2:30:26]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It really is heartening to hear the interventions from our partners, and I'm grateful for the participation and the views that has been offered. First, I want to thank IFRC for the long-standing partnership and vital local reach that you provide. We share your call for stronger, flexible support to local actors, protection along routes to prevent deaths, including the saving lives initiatives and implementation of recommendations, upholding asylum and sustained commitment so displaced people can rebuild their lives with dignity and agency. We look forward to deepening our collaboration towards the High Commissioner's Dialogue and the 2027 Global Refugee Forum. Thank you, IOC, for your sustained commitment to sport as a practical tool for protection, inclusion, and self-reliance. We welcome the expansion of safe sport initiatives and calls for continued collective action to ensure displaced young people can access the opportunities and sense of belonging that sports provides. Your work through the Global Refugee Forum is particularly appreciated. You've heard me say this before. In any of these communities of refugees and displaced people I see, it is sport that the kids are accelerating to and wanting, and our partnership is really important and I genuinely appreciate it. To the UN, United Nations volunteers, thank you for your enduring partnership and vital operational support to UNHCR, and let me also tell you our Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, started with UNHCR as a UN volunteer. She reminded me, your work is truly important. And the refugee UN volunteer initiatives as a practical means of advancing refugee participation, including inclusion and self-reliance, is really appreciated and noted. Expanding such opportunities can strengthen social cohesion and help refugees contribute as agents of change in their own communities and to be helpful to all of us as well. Thank you, FAO, for your statement and for noting the criticality of agricultural work and the skills which refugees bring to this sector. Our collaboration in the areas you rightly highlighted are important, and I look forward to signing the updated MOU and our growing partnership, especially to advance inclusion and livelihood opportunities. WFP, you are a critical partner to UNHCR, and we are very grateful for our collaboration and work together addressing the critical food security needs is absolutely important while supporting pathways to self-sufficiency. It was important for our Executive Committee to hear the level of underfunding, which impacts not only on health and food insecurity, but on a range of other protection situations. We must also be able to help refugees meet their basic needs today while we work together to move towards a more sustainable response. Thank you, UNFPA, and for the important lead on responses to gender-based violence. Your reference, in particular, to addressing the needs in this regard for stateless women is particularly important, as you have flagged, and if we want to be true to our motto of leaving no one behind. I have visited a number of refugee situations in the last few months. from Ukraine to Latin America to the Middle East to many areas of Africa. Each refugee situation is unique, but there are two or three common themes that unifies most refugee situations, if not all. One, most refugees hope for peace so that they can go home. Other common theme is that it's invariably women and girls who are suffering the most of the trauma of displacement and the horrors accompanied with it. I will say also people with disabilities as well, having to go through that trauma of displacement with their disabilities is something that is important to note. Thank you UNFPA for your support and hardships and leadership in this regard, including by joining our Global Alliance. Your support also to the 50 by 35 vision is also much appreciated, including by enabling inclusive censuses. Your leadership in the Global Protection Cluster in this regard is also much appreciated. IOM, thank you for your statement, and you would have heard throughout the last few days about the important partnership to which IOM and UNSCR are bound to and we are committed to. Our collaboration and cooperation is indeed critical, whether it is at the policy level through complementary work in implementing the GCR and GCM, including through routes-based approaches or operationally in the field to support states as co-champions for durable solutions for IDPs. Our joint work on data and on harmonized core relief items capacities are also critical. I can say that the IOM, WFP, UNICEF, with the coordination and support from ECR, working through the humanitarian reset and collaboration and complementarity is really taking shape, but we need to do more. And we've heard you, Member States. We need to reduce as much of the duplications that may exist here and there. There are certain areas of operation that we can do better. And I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, Member States, The quint are very much keen on making sure that this is delivered on. The unified supply chain has already gone live and it has going to transform the way that we are working and brings in a lot of efficiencies. WFP is running our transportation fleet. unified transportation fleet. That is quite amazing. IOM and UNHCR are working a lot closer together and we need to do more and we are committed to doing more to making sure we are as efficient as we can be. WFP, as I said, has been there. UNICEF's role in a variety of these sectors have been amazing. Every operation I have visited, we make sure that the country the resident coordinator and the country team of the United Nations are coming together to make sure that we are really delivering to the same mission. This is not about our institutions, this is about our mission, but it also has to involve delivering with efficiency and cost effectiveness. And thank you, ECAS, for stressing the need for enabling autonomy over dependency. Aligning our priorities would be important, drawing on available regional instruments. I also appreciate very much your call for us to shift our narrative and see the opportunities that come with refugee skills and inclusions. Thank you, World Bank, for your statement and for the steadfast partnerships without which I will say meeting our 50 by 35 objectives would be very difficult. I had the pleasure and honor meeting the leadership of the World Bank, meeting with the governing board, and very important that we operationalize this vision and along the lines that you've said, and I want to echo what you have just mentioned. This is not development aid to become another site of humanitarian assistance. Development aid has to be part of job creations, have to be part of viable economic and sustainable economic activities. Otherwise, we're going to be having the same problem all over again. And I think we are very much aligned in terms of that vision and talking to member states, hosting nations, they are also very keen on this matter. And we're looking very much to working closely with the bank and with the World Bank Group, with the IFC and other development actors. And thank you again for affirming those points and This will, in my view, help returns to take place in sustainable manners, as I said, with sustainable jobs. You mentioned that a shift is needed in our approach. This is the shift, but the question is whether we genuinely operationalise it by realisable projects on the ground that can offer people jobs, sustainable returns and reintegration and helping these economies move forward. I would say that predictable and less fragmented support is needed as you flagged. So are good policies and our combined efforts in this area is important. Our partnerships such as the JDC and the IFC, HCR are key. So is the work we do on the ground, including in the focus areas that we have been pursuing. I want to thank you for, again, I want to say this very directly and reaffirm it, that what we are talking about is not another form of humanitarian assistance. This has to be about people being given agency, part of sustainable economic dynamics that can move them out of the humanitarian trap. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to the NGO community for your statement and above all for your extraordinary commitment to refugees and often under most difficult circumstances. NGOs and refugee-led organizations our partners and we cannot succeed without. Your work is indispensable. I share your concerns about declining funding and its impact on protection. We need more flexible and predictable funding and we must preserve our protection capacity through these difficult reforms. Protection is our core mandate. We cannot afford to move away from that core mandate. We remain committed to genuine strategic partnership with NGOs in all their diversity and to meaningful refugee participation that goes beyond a seat at the table, enabling refugees to shape decisions that affect their lives. On 50 by 35, I agree that self-reliance cannot replace durable solutions. Both must advance together. Ultimately, our success depends on what we can achieve together. Your partnership is more essential than ever. But before turning back to you, Mr. Chair, my dear friend, Ambassador Anderson, let me thank you sincerely for your incredible engagement in the Bureau. I understand this is your last session as a member of this Bureau, so I owe you a big thank before you leave this Bureau and this important role that you have played. Your steer, including in difficult discussions, was truly invaluable. I really thank you and I want you to share with me and appreciate it. Thank you, sir. ExCom · Chair [2:43:49]: Thank you, High Commissioner. It has been an honor to be on the Bureau and to work with all of you fine colleagues. And I can then say that we are at the end of the speakers list and we are at the end of this agenda item, the general debate. It has taken a while, but I'm glad that we have listened to each other, and I thank everyone for contributing to a rich debate. I take away a lot of commitment to the cause of refugees, a lot of support for the work of the UNHCR, and while we have heard about shrinking resources and protection gaps. We have also heard about efficiencies and innovative ways of including refugees in local economies and systems. So there are certainly a lot of hope also in this area. My plan, dear friends, is to send you home by around 6:00. But we have one thing still to do, and that is rights of reply. We have received a few requests for rights of reply, notably from Thailand, Poland, Lithuania, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and Bangladesh. And I want you now to note that the time for the right to reply is two minutes, and only one right to reply will be accorded to each delegation. So I start by giving the floor to Thailand for two minutes. Thailand, please, you have the floor. Thailand [2:45:15]: Well, thank you, Chair. Thailand wish to exercise our right of reply in response to the statement made by Cambodia yesterday. It is regrettable that a humanitarian forum such as this has been used by Cambodia to disseminate unfounded allegations against Thailand. Let us not forget how the conflict started. It was when Thai soldiers have lost their legs to newly planted landmines, and when Cambodian rocket struck Thai territory and killed innocent Thai lives. The conflict that followed brought immense suffering to the peoples, and hundreds of thousands of people being displaced on both sides. But when the Cambodian delegation claimed that some 20,000 Cambodian displaced persons are unable to return to their home, Let us once again set the record straight. These so-called homes are in fact located in Thailand, in areas that in the 1970s were used as temporary shelter for Cambodians fleeing the conflict in their own country. Their failure to return home, despite our repeated protests, constitutes an encroachment on Thai territory. This historical fact has been well documented and well known to Cambodia. On alleged occupation, Thailand firmly reject the allegation. Thailand is committed to the implementation of key de-escalation measures under the joint statement made by the General Border Committee on 27 of December 2025, where both sides agree to maintain existing troop deployment at the time of the ceasefire. and not to undertake provocative actions that may escalate tensions, as well as fully affirm their international obligation, particularly humanitarian demining under the Ottawa Convention. Lastly, Thailand is fully committed to the ceasefire agreement and wishes to move beyond this conflict and sincerely hope that Cambodia will demonstrate the same in good faith. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:47:37]: Thank you, Thailand. I now pass the floor to Poland. Poland, please, you have the floor for two minutes. Poland [2:47:45]: Thank you, Chair. It's always interesting to hear from delegation of Belarus. Let me remind this room that the fences or walls to which the delegation was referring yesterday did not appear on our own volition, as in reaction to the activity of the Belarusian authorities. encouraging, training and equipping migrants to physically challenge border of Poland is indeed a hostile move and a case of instrumentalization of migration. Last year, we have recorded 30,000 of such attempts. It has nothing to do with championing the 1951 Convention. To the Belarusian delegate, I will try to speak as neighbour to neighbour. Our border protection will be maintained and further refined until such artificially created pressure is completely lifted from your part. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:48:50]: Thank you very much, Poland. I now pass to Lithuania. Lithuania, please, you have the floor. Lithuania [2:48:55]: I take the floor to exercise of the right of ExCom · Chair [2:49:00]: reply to this statement. Microphone, please. Lithuania [2:49:03]: Is it okay now? Speaker 75 [2:49:08]: No. ExCom · Chair [2:49:15]: Okay. I'm afraid you have been given the microphone. Speaker 77 [2:49:17]: We are using now the other microphone. Sorry for the delay. Please go ahead. ExCom · Chair [2:49:21]: My apologies. Lithuania [2:49:24]: Thanks again. I take the floor in exercise of the right of reply to the statement by the delegation of Belarus. And allow, first of all, me to re reiterate that Lithuania is committed to the 1951 Refugee Convention. We have welcomed more than 100,000 people fleeing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and many others seeking safety from persecution, including from Belarus. We distinguish clearly between regular, irregular and state-instrumentalised migration. The latter is about vulnerable people used as instruments of political pressure, and we cannot accept it. Since 2021, people from Asia, the Middle East and Africa have been flown to Belarus and directed towards the borders of the European Union. Many left stranded in forests, including women and children. Let's ask ourselves who organised their journey and why. Belarus spoke of its western neighbours, in the plural. Indeed, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania face the same pattern: organised crossings, tunnels beneath our borders, smuggling balloons, disrupting air traffic. When all the neighbours have the same experience, the source of the problem is clear. In an authoritarian and highly controlled environment such as Belarus, these operations cannot take place without the knowledge and involvement of the authorities. and the complicity of the state is evident. Lithuania has chosen the path of the international law. On May 19, 2025, we instituted proceedings against Belarus before the International Court of Justice under the UN protocol against the smuggling of migrants, to which both countries are parties. Chair, every State, large or small, has the right to sovereign equality and non-intervention, and every person deserves to be treated with dignity, never as a tool of pressure. Thus, we call on the rest to end these deplorable practices and comply fully with its obligations under the international law. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:51:25]: I thank you and give the floor to United States of America. Please. United States of America [2:51:30]: Thank you, Chair. This right of reply is in response to the intervention from Cuba. The U.S. embargo and related sanctions are legal. U.S. sanctions have important, long-standing exceptions for exports of critical consumer goods, and the United States is a major exporter of food, medicine, and medical devices to Cuba. In 2025, for example, U.S. farmers exported approximately $490 million worth of agricultural products to Cuba. The United States provides humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people. We are currently delivering more than $100 million worth of assistance directly to the people of Cuba, working with the Catholic Church and other independent faith-based organizations. Finally, the United States authorizes the export of U.S. fuel to the Cuban private sector, but not to the regime, which would use the fuel for its own ends and enrichment. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [2:52:26]: Thank you very much. I now pass to the Russian Federation. Russian Federation, you have the floor. Russian Federation [2:52:34]: Thank you, President. Chair, I'm compelled to take the floor, given the statements made by a series of delegations where they made unjustified allegations against Russia. Moreover, the issues which are raised in their statements have no relation whatsoever to the mandate of UNHCR and the humanitarian agenda. These politicized statements are an example of the lack of objectivity of these states. politicizing the Ukrainian crisis, they are ignoring the crimes committed by the Ukrainian authorities, including the murder and the intentional destroying of civilian sites. And all of our efforts in our country aim to save the people in the Donetsk National Republic and the Luhansk National Republic, which are practically being destroyed by the Ukrainian side. and the aggression of the Kyiv authorities against Donbas has been seen as a complete disregard of the Kyiv authorities of the rights of the citizens of these areas and their refusal to apply the Minsk agreements. We had to help the DNR, LNR and Kherson citizens. These Russian regions have taken in many persons who were forcibly displaced from these areas, who were compelled to leave their homes. They have chosen to flee, to come to different Russian regions to save their lives and to find a home. And we have seen as well the allegations of us against about Ukrainian children. This is instrumentalization of a political agenda. And we are seeing this as part of the anti-Russian rhetoric we're hearing in political statements today. The strikes that we are carrying out are for specific reasons. They're highly targeted, and they are carried out as anti-terrorist measures, given the massive strikes of the Kyiv regime on peaceful civilian sites in Russian cities. And given what the delegation of Georgia said, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are independent states. and the aggressive policy of... ExCom · Chair [2:54:46]: I now pass the floor to Bangladesh. Bangladesh, please. Bangladesh [2:54:55]: Mr. Chair, Bangladesh exercises its right to reply in response to the statement made today by the delegation of Myanmar. Bangladesh takes serious exception to Myanmar's continued attempts to portray the Rohingya as Bengalis, constructing a narrative of illegal migration and security threats to justify their exclusion, this time persecution and ethnic cleansing. The Rohingya are a distinct ethnic group with deep historical, cultural, and social roots in Arakan, now Rakhine State. Their presence predates modern borders and is documented in historical records and independent scholarship. Their distinct identity, heritage, traditions, and language cannot be negated by similarities with the Chittagonian dialect of Bangla. The Rohingya were integral to Myanmar's politics, society and government until the 1982 citizenship law excluded them from the state and society on ethnic and religious grounds. Labelling them as Bengalis denies their right to self-identification and has been used to justify their persecution, mass atrocities, displacement and statelessness. Bangladesh also rejects Myanmar's claim that more than 40,000 Bengalis arrived in Rakhine before the alleged violence by the so-called ARSA. This adds to Myanmar's long list of repeated unsubstantiated assertions. Such baseless claims seek to portray the Rohingya as foreigners and security threats, while diverting attention from their ethnic cleansing in 2016 to 2017. Bangladesh calls upon Myanmar to recognize the Rohingya as an integral part of its society and state, respect their right to self-identification, fulfill its bilateral obligations, and facilitate their return by creating a conducive atmosphere in Rakhine and their reintegration with equal rights and safety and with dignity. A durable solution must be grounded in historical facts, justice, accountability, and respect for the fundamental rights of the Rohingya. Thank you, Mr. Chair. ExCom · Chair [2:56:56]: Thank you very much. We also have a request for the right of reply from Ukraine. And furthermore, I have decided to grant the right of reply to the following three non-members of the ExCom, the Myanmar, Cambodia and Cuba. So I am thankful for the indulgence of the interpreters and pass the floor now to Ukraine. Ukraine [2:57:24]: I'd like to use this right of reply. To inform you that an occupying power, the Russian Federation, is obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure the provision of essential supplies to the civilian population in the occupied territory and to allow the facilitate relief operation in accordance with its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Allow me to underscore, in particular, that we remain deeply concerned about the grave human rights and humanitarian situations in temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine, and especially the situation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region is particularly extremely disturbing. Civilians remain trapped in life-threatening conditions, facing severe Shortage of food, water and medical supplies, while safe humanitarian access and evacuation remain severely restricted. It is worth reminding ourselves that behind every city on the map of occupied territories are human lives. Behind every destroyed home is someone's story, and behind every person waiting for help lies a shared responsibility that we all must uphold. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ExCom · Chair [2:58:49]: Thank you. I now pass to Myanmar, to be followed by Cambodia. Myanmar, please, you have the floor. Myanmar [2:58:55]: Mr. Chair, I've exercised the right of reply to respond back to the intervention made by the Bangladesh delegation. When we mention Bengalis, it does not mean Bangladeshis, and the term has been used in Myanmar for so long, and there are people inside the country who identify themselves as Bengali. We have used the term since they originated from Chittagong and speak the Bengali dialect. We do not accept the term Rohingya, since it has never existed in our historical and legal record. In connection with the number of displaced persons, our record shows 540,000 people were displaced to the neighbouring country. The verification process is ongoing and we stand ready to repatriate the verified persons in accordance with the bilateral agreements and arrangements. I thank you, Mr. Chair. ExCom · Chair [2:59:54]: Thank you very much. I pass the floor to Cambodia. Cambodia [3:00:00]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Cambodia categorically reject the statement made by Thailand as false and unfounded, which misrepresent the situation on the ground and appear intended to mislead the member state. Cambodia neither initiated nor escalated the hostility. On 28 May 2025, Thai troops opened fire on Cambodian military position, killing one Cambodian soldier. Following that incident, tensions heightened. The current displaced Cambodians were forced to flee their home in Cambodian territory due to the recent border conflict between the two countries in 2025, particularly to the heavy attack by Thai armed force. UNHCR record confirmed that the repatriation of Cambodian refugees from camps in Thailand was completed in May 1999, and all the camps were closed. Both countries have recognized international boundary under 1904 convention and the 1907 treaty between France and Siam with 1 to 200,000 scale map. Both countries must respect the international recognized border. Cambodia has never laid new anti-personnel mine. The landmine incident involving Thai soldier occurred in documented legacy minefield within Cambodian territory left from the past civil war. Cambodia remains fully committed to its obligation under the Ottawa Convention. The UN statement of 20 7 December 2025 does not legitimize the illegal occupation of Cambodian territory by Thai Armed Force nor does it authorize the destruction of home civilian infrastructure and cultural property in our territory Cambodia strongly urge Thailand to immediately cease all unlawful activity in the area of Cambodian territory under it illegal occupation particularly any action aimed at altering the situation on the ground or creating a fait accompli, and allow and facilitate the early, safe, and dignified return of displaced Cambodians to their homes. I thank you. ExCom · Chair [3:02:15]: Lastly, I pass the floor to Cuba. Cuba, please. Cuba [3:02:21]: Thank you very much, Chairperson. In the statement, the US delegation cynically claims to be ignorant of the existence of an embargo and its unprecedented scaling up in recent months. Washington is maintaining that this is legal and the blockade is an exclusively bilateral matter. Exhaustive legal analysis, as recently presented by the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, categorically refute this. They should feel shame that they are attempting to justify this criminal policy of asphyxiation. A number of international bodies have called for the lifting of this blockade because it violates international law, violates the sovereignty and jurisdiction of targeted states. The multiple executive orders issued by the government of the United States in 2026 openly threaten with tariff reprisals and secondary sanctions, countries exporting fuel to Cuba, leaving no room for doubt regarding the criminal intentions underpinning this. The perverse and deliberate aim of the United States is to provoke serious shortfalls of fuel and asphyxiate Cuban families. They are trying to bring about a humanitarian tragedy to destabilise our country. and attain their political objectives. In sustaining this policy, they are categorising Cuba as a supposed extraordinary threat. Nobody could possibly, if they have any objectivity, take seriously the idea that such a nuclear superpower be threatened by a small island that for years has demonstrated solidarity to millions of human beings. they are getting bogged down in the absurd danger of twisting the economy and using military threats into unacceptable forms of foreign policy. The Cuban people have, throughout history, shouldered extraordinary sacrifices and spent much blood to safeguard their independence. We are not going to ever renounce that, and we will defend it until the last breath. Thank you. ExCom · Chair [3:04:42]: Thank you. I thank our excellent translators and all of you in the room and on the podium for your cooperation. This meeting is adjourned. A very good evening to everyone. Thank you.