9th Meeting, 76th Session of UNHCR Executive Committee

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I declare open the ninth meeting of the 76th plenary session of the Executive Committee. As you may know, yesterday evening, we heard the last speaker on our list for agenda item 6, item 5, after listening to the presentation. So now we're going to open the floor to any delegation wishing to intervene on that item of our agenda. First, I offer the floor to the distinguished representative of Zambia on behalf of the African group.

Chairperson, thank you for giving me the floor. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, the Republic of Zambia has the honor of delivering this statement on behalf of the African Group of States. We thank UNHCR for presenting the 2025 report on evaluation and acknowledge the continued efforts to strengthen institutional learning and accountability. However, The African Group wishes to express concern over several substantive issues that limit the report's strategic relevance and operational impact. Firstly, the report provides limited evidence of measurable impact. While it references evaluation activities and thematic reviews, it does not present comparative data, baseline indicators, or trend analysis. Without these elements, it is difficult to assess whether evaluations are driving meaningful improvements or simply documenting activities and processes. Secondly, Chair, the report lacks regional specificity. In a year marked by significant structural transitions, including the closure of the UNHCR Bureau for Southern Africa, the absence of a detailed regional analysis is deeply concerning. The report does not reflect how much changes have affected evaluation capacity, field coordination, or protection outcomes in the sub-region. This omission, we believe, risks obscuring the challenges faced by states and their communities in Africa, and in particular, Southern Africa, and undermines the principle of context-sensitive evaluation. Thirdly, Chair, the African Group notes the weak feedback loop between evaluation findings and programmatic adaptation. The report does not clearly demonstrate how lessons learned are being translated into policy reform, budgetary decisions, or operational adjustments. Moreover, the perspectives of affected populations and local partners and field staff are notably absent, raising concerns about the inclusivity and relevance of the evaluation process. Fourthly, the lack of a robust accountability framework is troubling. Recommendations are noted, but there is no clear roadmap for implementation, no timelines, no identification of responsible entities. This undermines the credibility of the evaluation function and risks reducing it to a procedural formality rather than a driver of reform. Finally, Chair, the report does not adequately address risk. In an increasingly volatile environment, evaluations must anticipate and respond to systemic threats, whether political, financial or operational. The absence of risk analysis is a missed opportunity to strengthen resilience and preparedness across UNHCR operations. Chairperson, evaluation is not an end in itself. It is a tool for transformation. The African Group urges UNHCR to enhance the strategic depth regional relevance, and accountability of future evaluation reports. We call on you for greater inclusion of field realities, stronger implementation follow-ups, and a renewed commitment to transparency and impact. This inclusion, we feel, will ensure principled and effective humanitarian action. I thank you for your attention.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Switzerland. You have the floor.

Thank you, President. Switzerland takes note with concern of the budget cuts that affect the work of the Evaluation Office. These cuts limit the number of evaluations it's possible to conduct. and makes it more necessary than ever to make strategic choices in identifying priorities that must serve as institutional learning and, in particular, guide the organisation. Similarly, the report underscores the importance of capacity building and decentralised evaluation on the ground and mentions a number of measures to this end, such as providing tools, training and other support. We believe it's essential to establish a practice-based community, gathering those that are working in the field and the evaluation office in order to share best practices and support one another. We should observe the effects of these measures and assess the impact on improving the quality of evaluation. In the context of UNAC, other measures should be considered in order to promote sharing of evaluation services and capacity building for evaluation with national partners. The evaluation on decentralisation is timely when we consider the measures taken during restructuring. How do we take these recommendations into account when we look at the recentralising of certain roles of the regional officers and what will the impact of this reduction be on national regional officers. In spite of strategic orientations, the policy for preventing gender-based violence lacks clarity and its take-up has been limited. The reasons for this are the exhaustion of staff and the difficulties in funding and a lack of coherence. The application of such measures is often compromised by a lack of resources. With the recent cuts and in light of the finding that the administration does not always give satisfactory follow-up to the findings and recommendations of evaluations, how does the UNHCR intend to pursue the eight recommendations from the evaluation office on this topic? And what about the follow-up for recommendations as to the call centers in the Middle East and North Africa? Evaluations on urgent action and national strategies demonstrate the importance For UNHCR to apply a lasting response, the UNHCR must focus on its standard-based role and supporting strengthening of national systems and focus on direct action on the ground as much as possible by using national systems. Finally, we would like to know how the evaluation office will contribute to the thinking process of the UNHCR vis-a-vis the new strategic directions from 2027 to 2032. I thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished speaker from the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Chairman.

Good morning to all. We thank the Evaluation Office. for the work carried out to improve the quality of programs and activities of the UNHCR. To what extent has the restructuring of the organization had an impact on the Evaluation Office? Is there any adaptation of these strategies planned to adapt to the new realities? We would ask the UNHCR leadership to comment to what extent the recommendations relating to the evaluation of the reform of decentralization has been carried out, and to what extent these conclusions are being used in the implementation. We note with satisfaction the inclusion of a report on the forecast for the future, the future outlook. We expect that this will allow for a timely integration of prospects in terms of developments for evaluation, and that would include in the context of various reform initiatives. We would be grateful for your views on the way in which the results of evaluation activities are taken into consideration when developing and discussing reforms, in particular within the context of UNHCR. We would ask the Evaluation Office to consider the possibility of carrying out an analysis of the sustainable management of programmes, as well as the reorganization of the UNHCR. And separately, we express our gratitude to the Evaluation Office for the publication of the key indicators of effectiveness. Thank you. Key performance indicators. This clearly improves the accountability and transparency of operations of the evaluation function. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Chair. I'd like to begin by thanking the Evaluation Office for their report. Independent evaluation provides vital insights to enable an organisation to learn and improve its impact and make sound, evidence-based decisions. It helps the organization to maximize the value it achieves from every dollar. The UK values the important and insightful evaluations the office has and is undertaking, as is reflected in this report. Given the key role the office plays in building the evaluation approach and capacity across the organization, it will come as no surprise, and you said the same in your opening remarks yesterday, Laurie, that as with all of the other issues we've discussed here this week, we're also concerned about the impact of cuts on the capacity of the Evaluation Office. As such, we take note of the reduction in staff as well as the number of evaluations, and thank you for commenting a bit more on this in your presentation yesterday, as well as your projection for 2026. We also want to acknowledge the progress made on the evaluation strategy. We appreciated the insights offered in the report on some of the important work done in respect of strategy implementation. including continued steps to build capacity across the organisation and consolidated efforts with other agencies and organisations, and we hope it will be possible for such initiatives to continue. We note that the report states that a formal management process to systematically monitor and report on evidence-based decision making has yet to be established, and timely management responses to evaluation recommendations remain a challenge. And we would urge management to work with the Evaluation Office to ensure improvements in this area and ensure that evaluations have the impact that they should. In closing, we reiterate our strong support for the work of the Evaluation Office and its vital contribution to strengthening UNHCR's effectiveness and accountability.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. There are no further requests for the floor. So I would ask Ms. Trubel to respond to the comments made by the delegations. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, thank you very much to Zambia and the Africa Group for their comments. I couldn't agree more that evaluation is not an end to itself, but a tool for transformation. With respect to information in the evaluation report, the global evaluation report on impact, baselines, data, trends, unfortunately, and this has to do with the lack of regional analysis, we're really limited to the amount of space that we have in the reports. This year, everyone was asked to cut their reports by 20% because of the cost, the high cost of translation into official languages. So you'll see that the annexes that usually accompany the reports, the annex that of completed evaluations, of planned evaluations, and indeed the KPI table, key performance indicators, they're not in your reports. They're actually on our website. So if you noticed that they were missing, that's where you'll find them. And that was purely for financial reasons. So on regional analysis, we have actually just completed regional analysis of evaluations in the Africa region, and I'd be very happy to organize a specific briefing with the Africa group on this publication and some of the key learning. We have less evaluations in other regions. We have quite a few in the Americas, less in Asia Pacific and in MENA and in Europe. But we always reach out to member states. So Mauritania will remember that we had a briefing. They were involved from the beginning of the evaluation, the country strategy evaluation, right through to the end. And we had a briefing at the end between Mauritania and Geneva. Republic of Korea, we've had conversations right from the beginning of that country strategy evaluation. So bilaterally, we're trying to keep member states informed about evaluations in their countries. But always happy to provide additional briefings. And on impact and data, I think you'll find that if you look into the individual evaluations themselves and often into the annexes where there's a lot more data, that you'll see that we're doing a lot to try and tease out where there's credible evidence, information on the impacts of UNHCR's work and the changes that it makes in the lives of people. A case in point would be the Mali country strategy evaluation recently, where we were able to use the results monitoring survey data to really tease out impacts in terms of increased access of displaced people to services, health, education, et cetera. On the translation of the recommendations into action, I think I'll leave that for set colleagues to respond to. But just on, there is actually a roadmap for the implementation of recommendations. Every evaluation has a formal management response, which is published beside the report, which indicates whether management agrees with the recommendation, fully, partially, or not at all, and the actions that they plan to take, and the deadlines for implementing those actions. What we are missing is not the management response. What we're missing is a system for knowing whether those actions actually happened afterwards. And then on risk, if you look at the evaluation policy, and this is where maybe the next version of the evaluation policy could be strengthened, the The drivers of the topics that are selected for evaluations are not only about risk, it's also about ensuring that we have sufficient coverage of strategic directions, the 16 results areas, and I'll come back to the comment of Switzerland in a moment. And so the choice of topics is really led by a variety of factors, including, for example, consultation with member states earlier this year, consultations with the NGO community through ICVA, et cetera. But I think you're right that in the next version of the policy, we could look more at risk. Having said that, I think just two pieces of work to mention that completely respond to the issue of risk. Earlier this year, When the financial situation was becoming more evident, my office pulled together lessons learned from closing offices, from several evaluations, in order to provide a couple of key recommendations on what to think about as UNHCR scales down and in some cases closes offices. This is a risk. This is a risk for future partnership with national governments. This is a risk for UNHCR's ability to continue to protect refugees in the countries in which we have less presence. And the second piece of work that we've started just recently, and again, this was a topic that was proposed by member states during the consultation in quarter one, and that's an end-to-end review of how UNHCR is managing tightly earmarked donor funding. Thank you very much for the comments from Switzerland. Yes, we're concerned also about the budget for the evaluation office. As the report said, we're quite a small team. There are 11 international staff and we're now down to eight. We've managed to keep, in terms of regional support, we've managed to keep three regional senior evaluation officers who each cover two regions. So, for example, our colleague who is in covers Eastern Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, now covers Eastern Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, and Southern Africa. So we're doing our best with less capacity. We have a community of practice. It was set up two and a half years ago with DSPR because, of course, M&E are very closely linked. So we have a monitoring and evaluation community of practice that exists, co-chaired by DSPR and by the Evaluation Office. And we try to adopt a mentoring approach for all the staff who need to manage evaluations, to be able to support and exchange practice between offices. I'll leave again the follow-up on the use of the DNR, decentralization and regionalization evaluation recommendations to others on them and the GBV as well. On the call center evaluation, that evaluation was just finished. The management response is not overdue. It hasn't been submitted yet. But what I can say is one of the reasons that my office was so keenly interested in this evaluation was the link between call centers and feedback loops with refugees and displaced people and UNHCR and other initiatives that are ongoing at the moment, notably the digital gateway. So how are we making digital services available for refugees and displaced persons, stateless persons? How are we creating two-way communication channels? So we're going to do our best to lift some of the key recommendations from the from the call center evaluation, the multi-country evaluation in MENA, to look at the implications for broad global good practice. On strategic directions, if you look in the work plan, the published work plan, we indeed have a synthesis of evidence across the 16 outcome areas under UNHCR's current strategic directions. And we've already started, we're a little bit delayed, but we've already started that work focusing first on one outcome area five, which is on child protection. But we'll work through all 16 areas over the coming nine months with the idea of having a series of papers. For me, one of the key questions that these reviews need to look at is what do our evaluations tell us about relevance of UNHCR's areas of action, going back to what do we need to do more of and what do we need to do less of? With respect to the Russian Federation, thank you very much for your comments. I think I've spoken a little bit to the impact of restructuring. In terms of adapting to new realities, and I mentioned this in my intervention yesterday, the Evaluation Office's budget has been to some extent subsidizing decentralized evaluations for project evaluations required by donors. And we will not be able to do that going forward. So in some cases, my budget has topped up funding for decentralized evaluations. My staff, who are primarily responsible for conducting global thematic and strategic emergency evaluations, are spending an enormous amount of time supporting decentralized evaluations. So I think one of the adaptations we need to make is to look at how do we make sure that project evaluations required by donors are fully funded, including the capacity to manage and implement them. And thank you very much for noticing the key indicator table in the report this year. It was a useful exercise for us to keep track over the last couple of years of how performance is evolving across the system. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms. Bell. I offer the floor to Ms. Clements.

Chair, and good morning to everybody. Maybe just a follow-up on a couple of the balls that the Director of Evaluation sent down to management. First, just to respond to the delegate from Switzerland, that I believe the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection mentioned yesterday the intention in terms of follow-up on the GBV evaluation. There will be a Member State brief next month. I think she did also say that with regard to some of the budget cuts, how heavily impacted that particular sector is and our deep concerns about that. But that is something that I think we will want to have a very intensive conversation to go back to some of the comments made by the High Commissioner and others on the podium during this week, and we've heard that in the room as well. But we'll follow up very closely on that. I wanted to respond to the comments in terms of how the decentralization and regionalization evaluation has impacted the review and the restructuring. This was discussed a little bit in standing committee, both in the summer and then as well in September, but for the benefit of this committee, it heavily influenced how we approach the review and perhaps one of the more important documents that guided what we have tried to do in terms of this very difficult review and restructuring. is to ensure that the core principles that establish that decentralization, particularly to ensure the region and context specific nature of the way that we have devolved decision making closer to the people that we work with and for does not change. And so to that extent, in terms of how we will move forward and where we have put capacity in terms of, as we call it, the three different levels between operational representative, suboffice level, regional bureau, and then headquarters, that we've tried to maintain that very clear distinction. Where we are seeing, because of how severe some of the cuts have been, is the specific technical capacity that we had hoped very much to have that context specific embedded in some of the operations, or if that was not possible at the regional bureau level, We are finding now as we're doing the gaps analysis and the like, that a lot of that capacity is no longer possible to retain at the level of operation or in some cases even at the regional bureau level. So we will have to do more of that from the headquarters level and even that I think will be quite strained if I'm honest. But if as we embark again on what the 2026 detailed planning looks like, we will continue to use that decentralization, regionalization evaluation very much as our bellwether of how we move forward as we're rolling out, for example, global shared service. and the way that we help to support that operational delivery through HR, IT, supply, finance, for example. Just in terms of modelling, there will not be a change to what we will be delivering in terms of the kind of capacity from those enabling functions. But it's the how that changes. It's that transactional processing that changes in terms of this review and particularly that rollout which started on October 1st. But we'll continue to keep this committee apprised as to how we're using as we do all evaluation outcomes, very practically next steps. And I just wanted to flag, Mr. Chair, the final point that the Director of Evaluation made on call centers and how heavily that has influenced the rollout of what could be one of the most transformational components of our engagement with refugees, which is the digital gateway. And there is a direct correlation between the two. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms. Clements. That brings us to the end of item 5 of the agenda. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we'll now move on to item 6. Under this item, the Committee has before it UNHCR's programme budget for 2026, contained in A/AC.96/76/5. Also relevant to the discussion is the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, ACABQ/A/AC.96/76/6. I would like to remind delegations that the programme budget was initially reviewed at an informal consultative meeting on 26 August. as well as at the 94th meeting of the Standing Committee in September. You also have before you the text of the draft General Decision on administrative, financial and programme matters, which was discussed in an informal preparatory consultation on 5 September. I would like to welcome to the podium the Chief Financial Officer and Controller in the Division of Resources Management, Mr. Hans Barit, as well as the Rapporteur of the Executive Committee, Ms. Lisa Advani. As the Deputy High Commissioner already made comments on the Programme Budget 2026 under agenda item 4b, we will move straight into the discussion. Therefore, the floor is now open for any delegation wishing to intervene on this agenda item. First, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda, speaking on behalf of the African group. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning. Uganda is honored to deliver the statement on behalf of the African group. We specifically thank the UNHCR DHC for your eloquent sharing of the update on budget and funding and also the program budget for 2026. Africa, as a host to over 50 million persons of concern to UNHCR, remains very interested in the budget of the UNHCR and therefore from the outset supports the adoption of the budget decision of 2026 by consensus. We are, however, concerned that with only two months, or maybe three, to the end of the year, only 30% of the budget has been raised, and Africa remains the most underfunded, unfortunately. At this ExCom, dear Chair, our statement will focus on the call to all member states to share the growing burden and responsibility of protecting refugees. The growing budget deficits amidst the growing humanitarian needs defeats the principle of burden and responsibility sharing that is enshrined in the Global Compact of Refugees. The responsibility of assisting and protecting refugees was never envisaged to be for a select few states. It is our collective responsibility. And this is why, out of all UN agencies, we believe the reason why the High Commissioner for Refugees is appointed by the General Assembly and is indeed required to annually report to the General Assembly symbolizes the global duty of his mandate. And we therefore call for all of us to have and support the mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees. In that vein, the Africa Group is proud of the part that we are playing. The in-kind contribution of land, infrastructure, services, and security have an unmeasured monetary value that should remind all our partners that the burden we shoulder is equally heavy and should be shared. That said, we appreciate our partners that remain committed to donating in a timely, predictable, and sustainable manner towards easing the burden on the hosting countries. We are even more grateful to the donors that provide an earmarked and flexible funding that has enabled timely response to the most in need. Chair, considering the growing burden on hosting countries amidst the declining funding, we cannot continue business as usual. We must prioritize finding durable solutions. This will require us to address the root causes of forced displacement, silence the guns, and stop fueling conflict and then show up later as a matter of humanitarian intervention. To the UNHCR, we call for a more efficient way of doing business. We know you're doing your part, but we can do better. Address all the leakages that could result from duplication of services from your multiple partners. The UNHCR should also refocus, make sure the mandate and ensure savings to spend more on persons of concern than the administrative costs. We also call for a rethink on the human resource model of the UNHCR. The percentage of regular staff vis-a-vis affiliate staff should be revisited and maximise on flexible contracts that will save the organisation large sums of money spent on terminal benefits. Whereas the African group appreciates that the UNHCR mandate is delivered indeed through staff personnel, we note with concern that a big percentage of the budget services, salaries of UNHCR and its partners. This is unsustainable. We are further concerned that less than 17% of the budget is spent on the actual interventions to persons of concern to the UNHCR and opportunities that will empower refugees like self-reliance and to become financially independent to live are left empty. How then will we be able to achieve self-reliance? Turning to the recent staff cuts and closure of some offices amidst the financial crisis, Chair, we appreciate and sympathize with the difficult position that the High Commissioner had to take or was forced to operate in. And we assure you of Africa's commitment to work with you to deliver better amidst the tough conditions. However, of significant concern to the African group is the decision that was taken without prior consultation of the affected member states to close the regional bureau of the Southern Africa, effective of 1st October 2025. The regional bureau of Southern Africa has always been the least funded, and in our view, its closure would not have significant savings. going forward, we call upon the UNHCR to provide sufficient support to the multi-country offices in the region to ensure continuity in the work that was being done by the regional bureau of the Southern Africa. Finally, Chair, the African Group reiterates the call for equitable and burden responsibility sharing in addressing concerns of persons to the UNHCR and reassure the High Commissioner, Mr. Filippo Grandi, of our commitment to support the execution of your mandate.

I thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Zambia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Zambia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished delegate from the Republic of Uganda. Zambia has been a committed partner of UNHCR in hosting refugees and asylum seekers. However, over the past five years, a more than 40% reduction in UNHCR funding, exacerbated by global humanitarian budget cuts from key donors like the United States, has severely strained our capacity to sustain essential services in education, health care, livelihoods. Amid rising global displacement, economic challenges, and shifting donor priorities, refugee response budgeting has become increasingly unpredictable, making international burden sharing not only important, but urgently necessary. Chairperson, Zambia has made substantial government-led investments in refugee protection, demonstrating the true national responsibility and solidarity. Annually, the government allocates over 4.1 million Zambian kwacha, equivalent to about $147,000, to refugee programs and deploys public service personnel, such as teachers, health care workers, social workers, agriculture extension officers, and police to refugee hosting areas to deliver essential services to both refugees and host communities. Our vision for refugee protection in Zambia is grounded in inclusion, dignity, and long-term solutions. Today, refugees in Zambia receive free legal documentation, including birth certificates, that not only affirm their identity but also safeguard their rights under the law. We have extended universal health coverage to refugee populations, ensuring that even the most vulnerable, such as those over 60 years of age, receive free health care, just like Zambian citizens. And in education, refugee children are now fully integrated into Zambia's free education policy, removing financial barriers that once kept many out of the classroom and giving them a fair chance at a brighter future. Chairperson, However, these gains are now under serious threat. Over the past five years, Zambia has experienced a more than 40% reduction in UNHCR funding, compounded by a global cut in humanitarian assistance from major donors. This has placed tremendous strain on our ability to sustain essential services, particularly in health, education and livelihoods. The impact is most visible in transit centers in Mahaba refugee settlements, where new arrivals are now receiving no food assistance or basic necessities, no hygiene kits, no shelter materials, not even most immediate and life-saving supplies. The situation is not only unsustainable, it is, quite frankly, inhumane. Without urgent and predictable international support, we risk eroding years of progress. While Zambia appreciates the support from donor partners, it urges more timely and adequate funding. With UNHCR failing to raise the total amount for 2025, this situation is particularly worrying for Africa, which hosts over 50 million persons of concern. Zambia also expresses concern over the unconsulted closure of the Southern Africa Bureau and the absence of a dedicated allocation for the region for the 2026 budget. Clarity is sought on how Southern Africa's needs will be addressed under the East and the Horn of Africa framework, especially as a region has historically received the least funding. Chairperson, Zambia remains committed to protecting refugees but cannot bear this responsibility alone. We urge UNHCR and the international community to increase predictable, long-term funding for protracted refugee situations, prioritize sustainable integration programs to reduce reliance on emergency aid, and ensure equitable burden sharing so frontline countries like Zambia do not carry a disproportionate share. Chairperson, in conclusion, Zambia is doing its part, but we must not be left to do it alone. Solidarity must be matched by support, and global responsibility must translate into real investment. Together, let us protect the progress we have made and build a stronger, humane refugee response system for all. I thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Uganda in the national capacity.

Thank you, Chair. I'm delighted to come back in my national capacity. My government, my delegation aligns with the statement of the African group delivered by Uganda. Yes, we all need to smile on this day. Chair, the budget of the UNHCR has in the recent past generated a lot of interest And like you all know, it's of paramount interest to my government. We are interested in the budget of the UNHCR, not because it's the Uganda government budget. That would be for parliament, and that's where we would flex our muscles. In these streets of multilateralism, where we are allowed to put on our good suits and speak good English and convince each other in the most diplomatic manner to explain what happens in our backyard where not many of you sit, that's what becomes interesting and tough for us. So in this item, we'll focus on two things: to explain why it's important to adopt the decision of the budget by consensus, and why it's important for member states to donate and share the burden through flexible contribution, and why it should be timely and predictable. On the consensus point, the budget of the UNHCR is called a needs-based budget. Needs meaning it's the needs of the refugees to eat, to sleep, to get shelter, to go to school. For us, if we ever have to doubt or question that, would mean to question the needs, to question whether the hosting countries are even delivering those needs. And that's why we remain very committed and thank all Member States that remain committed to supporting this decision of consensus. To the burden and responsibility, especially through donating flexible funding, the UNHCR that we often put on a very tough wall, and Uganda has done that. We sometimes ask you for the impossible. Yes, we expect you to be very efficient in whatever you do, and we call on you to do that. We think you could do better in your human resource model, and we share that view. However, the member states also have a big role to play. When we donate fixed or earmarked money, we ask the UNHCR to explain what is unexplainable. I think member states today need to think, like my minister said on the first day, If you are earmarking your contribution, you are asking hosting countries to earmark who we host. If you say your money is for GBV or your money is supposed to go to a specific region, a region that has got an emergency and needs immediate intervention is stuck and cannot benefit from this budget. And when we come and speak roughly or very seriously to Mr. Filippo Grandi and ask him why his budget is not delivering, I think we pushing forward double standards. We are asking you what you cannot do. And for this, I want to appeal to Member States, to colleague States, that we need to do our part and share and contribute flexible, timely funding, and then hold them responsible on that part. On the bit of burden and responsibility sharing, the African statement was very clear on this. hosting countries have done so much. We continue to keep our borders open. We continue to share the little. Our fragile infrastructure has been torn. Our borders are very porous and fragile. And yet we have not prioritized defense. We have not prioritized our nationals or our citizens' interests. We have prioritized humanity. And today we appeal to everyone under this budget item that if we can support the UNHCR budget with flexible, and earmarked predictive and multi-year funding, you will be prioritizing humanity, and humanity feeds into security, and it guarantees your defense. I thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of the USA, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Deputy High Commissioner, for your presentation, your earlier presentation on the program budget. UNHCR plays a vital role in addressing the growing challenges of global displacement, and it is for this reason the United States supports the adoption of the 2026 budget by consensus. colleagues, the persistent gap between UNHCR's approved budget and actual income remains, however, a significant concern. While we welcome the agency's recent structural reforms, measures thus far have been insufficient to address the widening gap between UNHCR's approved budgets and the resources it can truly raise. We urge UNHCR to present a 2027 budget that is realistic, achievable, and prioritized. This means clearly identifying and focusing on core mandate activities, particularly lifesaving interventions and solutions to displacement, while defining what activities will be scaled back or discontinued. It also requires aligning the budget with realistic resource projections to avoid overpromising and underdelivering. Furthermore, UNHCR must engage donors early in the budget process to build confidence. The time for wishful budgeting is over. UNHCR must demonstrate discipline, accountability, and a genuine commitment to reform. Only then can we build a humanitarian system that is sustainable, effective, and capable of meeting the challenges of our time. For decades, the United States has shouldered a disproportionate share of the global humanitarian burden. This model is unsustainable and unfair to American taxpayers. The time is right for change, and we can do better together. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Chairperson. Ethiopia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uganda on behalf of the Africa Group. Mr. Chair, Ethiopia reaffirms its firm commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees, grounded in solidarity, responsibility-sharing, and protection for those forced to flee. Yet, the current funding situation falls short of these shared goals, with resources declining as needs continue to rise. We must ask, what is being done to ensure donor countries honor their commitments? Again, we must ask, How is UNHCR exploring new and innovative funding sources to ease the growing pressure on host countries and host communities? Mr. Chair, funding for Ethiopia has consistently fallen short, with this year marking the lowest coverage in recent years. only 27% compared to 30 to 56% over the past decade. This funding gap has serious humanitarian and protection impacts. In addition, forcibly displaced children face heightened risks of abuse, neglect, violence, and trafficking, while gender-based violence remains Widespread, 36% of female refugees experience abuse at home, and 40% of respondents justify violence against women and girls. Persons with disabilities, which takes 60% of refugees, lack access to specialized services. Health centers are overcrowded and under-equipped, with shortages of medicines, vaccines, and power. Poor WASH services, including only 24% latrine coverage and 14 liters of water per person per day, contribute to malnutrition rates reaching 27%. Education is underfunded, leaving 45% of pre-primary, 58% of primary and 82% of secondary school age children out of school, with class sizes up to one teacher per 120 students. 67% of refugee households lack adequate shelter, and only 43% of refugees are in the labor force, with nearly half unemployed, resulting in 75% living in poverty. Resettlement quotas have dropped to just over 1,000 this year, reducing durable solutions. We have 5,000 refugees want to return home voluntarily that demand adequate return and reintegration support. Access to electricity is low. Only 7% have grid access, 3% of grid while 90% rely on firewood, driving deforestation and environmental damage. The funding shortage undermines protection, education, health, livelihoods, and the sustainability of refugee and hosting communities. Additionally, our inclusion roadmap, Makata Roadmap, for refugee dependents on sustained, multi-year and multi-partner financing is now at risk due to the unpredictability of available funds. Mr. Chair, Ethiopia calls on all partners to work together to help refugees become more self-reliant. Lasting solutions need better planning, local action, and stronger support from development actors, financial institutions and the private sector, not only from UNHCR and hosting countries. We must ensure that progress achieved is not reversed because of funding shortage. In conclusion, Ethiopia thanks all partners who continue to give timely, reliable and flexible support, especially those providing an air market fund that help us respond,

Thank you very much.

The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Denmark. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Denmark supports the adoption of the budget proposed for 2026 and agrees with Uganda on the importance of adopting the budget with consensus. We also share the concerns about the proposed cuts to UNHCR's 2026 budget, as expressed by several Member States this week. The forecast of 20% reduction will impact UNHCR and those it serves, not only in 2026, but in years to come. In this situation, it is imperative to focus efforts and resources where they matter the most. UNHCR's core protection mandate is unique and cannot be managed by other agencies. We therefore note with appreciation that, despite the forecast of 20% budget cuts for 2026, funding for protection-related outcomes is upheld. We call on you to ensure that this remains the case once funding becomes available. The starting point for proper prioritization is obviously a thorough understanding of actual needs across all displacement situations. However, with uncertainty at unprecedented levels, it is more important than ever that the process is guided by a realistic assessment of available financial resources and capacities across the organization, along with a clear strategy that sets a coherent course for the entire organization. Further, we encourage UNHCR to engage in a close dialogue with Member States as the strategy is set and as priorities are determined and budgets adjusted accordingly. This will help inform decision-making and sound risk management. We recognize that this is a challenging task under the current circumstances. But it is all the more important while awaiting the new High Commissioner's arrival and as cuts are enforced at all levels, leading to uncertainty internally and challenges in partnerships. These approaches will help ensure the required stability and direction when the all-important process to revamp and reform the budget is initiated in preparation for 2027. This will be a crucial part of making UNHCR fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world. Denmark stands ready to continue engaging closely with UNHCR in this process. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of the Netherlands.

Thank you, Chair. Let me first echo Uganda's plea for more flexible funding. We need flexible funding more than ever. Host countries like Uganda and Ethiopia, who just spoke before me, are taking their responsibility. So let us donors do our part. As we mentioned in our national statements, the Netherlands is proud to remain a committed multi-year, unearmarked donor. Chair, the Netherlands would like to express our strong support for the programme budget for 2026. As the High Commissioner said on Monday, we cannot afford it not to have a budget, or to have a budget without full support. Let's keep UNHCR's persons of concern in mind in this context. Without the budget, what are we going to do for them? The budget is in our collective interest, to all of us in this room and beyond. Chair, related to the budget, the Netherlands would like to underscore our strong support for the long-standing principle of consensus-based budgetary processes in humanitarian fora. We strongly oppose any challenge to this principle, including through any reconsideration of textual proposals that have not previously received support. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I now offer the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

Chairperson, your excellencies, High Commissioner Mr. Filippo Grandi, distinguished delegates, thank you for giving Zimbabwe the floor. Zimbabwe aligns with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the African group. Chairperson, we express our appreciation to the UNHCR for preparing the comprehensive report under this agenda item. We take note with deep concern of the shrinking funding space, which has been reductions in the budgetary allocations in areas of critical importance to our region. The trend in the UNHCR budget cycles in the last few years has seen a widening gap between humanitarian needs and available funds, and this year's situation is further compounded by the financial crisis that has affected the entire UN system. Chairperson, it is at such a time of severe financial strain that we need alternative ways of mobilizing resources. As a host country negatively affected by the impact of unilateral coercive measures, over the years, Zimbabwe has been implementing self-reliance programs with the support of the private sector to build resilience among refugees. Among several other initiatives, the government of Zimbabwe has availed a 175-hectare irrigation scheme benefiting over 470 households at the Tongogara refugee settlement, and has to date availed over 8,000 metric tons of cereal in response to the call for humanitarian assistance by the United Nations General Secretary. Chairperson, Zimbabwe has and will continue to work with the resources at her disposal in order to meet our international obligations. We appreciate the financial donors who continue to avail an earmarked and flexible funding to enable UNHCR to respond to emergencies and crisis situations. We equally call upon the international community to help ease the burden shouldered by hosting states, many of whom are from developing countries. Finally, concerning the implications of the closure of the Regional Bureau for Southern Africa and the downsizing of operations to national offices, Zimbabwe looks forward to working with the UNHCR to ensure continuity in operations and uninterrupted support in refugee protection. We call upon the UNHCR to ensure the continued employment of staff in the national offices, including those being currently supported by UNHCR, and request that the multi-country office be adequately capacitated. In conclusion, Chairperson, we support the adoption of the Programme Budget Report for 2026 by consensus. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Germany.

Thank you, President. Mr. Chair, we thank UNHCR for its efforts in formulating and presenting the program budget for 2026, no small task given the unprecedented funding crisis faced by the organization and the wider humanitarian system. Germany is deeply concerned about the immense financial strain UNHCR is under. Global needs are rising, yet the funding gap has grown wider than ever. The overall 20% reduction in the programme budget for 2026, despite record needs, reflects the extremely difficult choices that have to be made in hyper-prioritising activities and beneficiaries. These are not just figures on paper. Each cut represents unmet needs and people in urgent need of protection who will ultimately pay the price. Mr. Chair, in these dire circumstances, part of the solution lies in moving forward with strategic reforms that make the humanitarian system leaner, more efficient and better equipped to deliver. for those most in need. Germany has been a strong advocate and partner of such efforts. As the current chair of the OCHA donor support group, we have placed the humanitarian reset at the center of our agenda and are actively contributing to its advancement. In this process, UNHCR must continue to play a central role as one of the key operational actors of the humanitarian system. Mr. Chair, for many years, Germany, together with a handful of other major donors, have carried a large share of humanitarian and UNHCR funding. We have done this out of conviction of our historic responsibility and commitment for the multilateral system and rules-based international order, a commitment that we maintain. But we have long warned that this model is unsustainable. Today, we see the consequences of over-reliance on a small number of donors many of whom are now facing their own budgetary constraints and are forced to reduce contributions. It is therefore more urgent than ever to broaden and diversify the donor base. Germany calls on all partners with the capacity to do so to step up and share the financial responsibility of meeting the protection needs of millions worldwide. I thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. You have the floor.

Thank you.

Very much, Chairman. We are grateful to the UNHCR leadership for the draft program budget for 2026 in difficult financial circumstances. We are aware of the importance of the activities of the UNHCR and the need by Member States, and express our full support to the programme and budget aspects contained in the report. We expect that next year the UNHCR, in close cooperation with Member States, will discuss whether the methodology for assessing the financial needs is adequate, and will also provide for consideration various options for calculation and their actual workability in the activities of the UNHCR. We also express a renewal of the discussion on the budget period within the UNHCR. In addition, the Russian Federation has proposed two amendments to the draft general decision, and we expect to return to this consideration in greater detail a little later in the agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Kenya. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chairperson, distinguished delegates. We gather amidst a lot of shifts and uncertainty in the multilateral space. If there was a time when collective action ought to be stepped up to address the challenges we collectively face, that time is now. Regrettably, the opposite is the case, and that is a major concern. Amidst the uncertainty and abrupt fiscal alignment, Kenya reiterates that funding humanitarian work is crucial and saves lives. Certainty, predictability and adequacy remains crucial to ensure continuity of life-saving humanitarian work, as noted by the distinguished representative of Uganda in the African Group statement. In that regard, Kenya supports UNHCR's appeal for an earmarked funding. However, resources availed to UNHCR must be utilized prudently. We thank all financial donors who give flexible contribution to UNHCR and more so those who give the organization unearmarked funding, giving the organization the necessary agility to address emergencies whenever and wherever they occur. The present budget cuts threatens to create new crisis. They threaten to prolong protractedness of conflict and to increase displacement. This has a very disproportionate burden on host countries and broader neighborhoods. As noted yesterday in Kenya national statement, the reduced food rations and differentiated assistance model for refugees hosted in Kenya have led to protest. We urge the UNHCR to urgently engage with partners, including partners in the development sector, on food security and in broader chain to activate livelihoods. We are concerned that the cuts in crucial sectors like education threatens to expose more children and young people to recruitment to armed groups and terrorist organizations. thus amplifying insecurity and creating more displacement. It also robs them of their livelihood and their futures. Cuts to water, health, and sanitation pose possible public health risks, which might affect the wider population beyond the refugees. The funding cap for 2025 stands at a very disturbing 62.9% at a time when humanitarian needs are at an all-time high, with the number of persons projected at 136 million in 2026. It's important to uphold solidarity and collective action to address our common challenges. We would like clarity on the 2026 budget being 2 billion lower while the needs are projected to be higher. For the Eastern Horn of Africa and the Greater Lakes region, Kenya continues to call for attention to optimal resources of Impact Area 4 on solutions. We take note of the very modest 2% increment in Impact Area 4 for 2026. Kenya has affirmed in previous briefing the necessity of resourcing ensuring resourcing of solutions. We urge UNHCR to ensure a balanced prioritization of financing solutions across all regions in collaboration with relevant partners to ease pressure on host countries and to facilitate voluntary returns and repatriation. Amidst the steep fiscal cuts, the pivot to sustainable responses must not place extra burden on host countries. We call for the attention and resourcing climate action as applicable to an HCR mandate, noting the immense environmental impacts of protracted hosting of refugees in Kenya. Ultimately, addressing the root causes that drive major humanitarian crisis is essential, including working on peace. Peace remains a core foundation to prevent most humanitarian situations. In addition, there is no development without peace and no peace without development. I thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of New Zealand. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair.

New Zealand supports the adoption of the programme budget for 2026 by consensus. Like others, we acknowledge the extremely challenging situation UNHCR is facing due to an underfunded budget. We welcome and encourage UNHCR's focus on prioritizing funding to its core work and its efforts to reinforce accountability, as well as its participation in reform efforts under the humanitarian reset in UN80. As a committed multi-year and flexible funder, New Zealand encourages others to do the same to ensure life-saving assistance can continue to reach the most vulnerable. We stand ready to support UNHCR on its transition journey and work towards a sustainable budget in 2027. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso. You have the floor.

President, my delegation aligns itself with the statement given by Uganda on behalf of the African group and, in our national capacity, would like to raise a few concerns. First, I should like to convey to the High Commissioner all of the gratitude of the Government of Burkina Faso for the constant support that the country has received from the UNHCR in implementing its policy for hosting and protection. As we've heard many times over this session, the serious crisis that is gripping the humanitarian sector is affecting our shared organization and compelling it to make some very difficult choices in terms of restructuring. At this stage, there's no point in demonstrating the negative impact of these budget restrictions on caring for the people affected by the crisis, but also, of course, It goes without saying that this affects the UNHCR staff that continue to feel the impact of these restrictions. I express all the solidarity of my country, Burkina Faso, and my delegation remains particularly concerned at the successive restrictions to the action of UNHCR in 2025 and the announced reductions in 2026, which may jeopardize the operational capacity of the organization in our country. And yet, a reduction in the operations of the UNHCR could endanger the implementation of the national integration strategy for refugees, which is a roadmap that conveys the commitment of the highest authorities of the country to implement lasting solutions for refugees. President, in cooperating with the UNHCR country office, my country has taken steps to protect IDPs according to the domestication process of the Kampala Convention, and furthermore, in implementing the National Action Plan to Combat Statelessness. These endeavours deserve support to guarantee the implementation of the legal framework and lasting protection for displaced people exposed to vulnerable situations. Continuing support for the UNHCR and looking at the contributions of Burkina Faso is essential in order to ensure that we can curb the flow of displaced populations to neighboring countries. President, in spite of a difficult security and economic context, Burkina Faso has remained faithful to its international commitments. in terms of hosting and international protection. However, in a spirit of solidarity and burden sharing, we would call on the one hand for appropriate budget allocation based on the reality on the ground, and furthermore, preserving the operational capacity of the UNHCR in Burkina Faso and in other countries within the Sahel. I firmly believe that maintaining a robust operation that is financed by the UNHCR will contribute in Burkina Faso and further afield to the stability of the sub-region and will also take into account the interconnected humanitarian challenges that we are facing. I thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Sudan. You have the floor.

You, Mr. Chair. Good morning, everyone. Sudan aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the African group. We'd like to begin by expressing our deep concern over the unprecedented financial crisis facing the multilateral humanitarian system, which has severely constrained the ability of UNHCR and its partners to deliver on their mandates. This financial pressure comes at a time when humanitarian needs are escalating globally. For Sudan, it means that lifesaving interventions are being scaled down precisely when our people and a million of refugees that we continue to host need them the most. The situation is further compounded by the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Sudan, which restrict access to financial systems and impede the government's ability to sustain essential services for refugees and host communities, despite our longstanding tradition of hospitality and asylum. Over two years of the devastating war in Sudan have turned our country into the world's largest displacement crisis. Nearly 13 million Sudanese have been uprooted, 9 million inside the country and 3 million sought refuge beyond our borders, while we welcome the return of over 2 million Sudanese to their home of origins. Every statistic is a human story, a family torn apart, a child who has not seen a classroom in two years, a mother choosing which meal to skip so her children can eat, a survivor of GBV, struggling to rebuild her life. Our neighboring countries have shown solidarity, opening their borders and communities to those fleeing the war. Yet, the regional refugee response plan that should sustain this lifeline is only 12% funded, leaving a gap of roughly $1.6 billion. The consequences are really felt and visible. Food rations halved, overwhelmed clinics, students turned away from overcrowded classrooms. And inside Sudan, the humanitarian response plan faces a similar shortfall. Frontline volunteers report that 80% of community kitchens have been closed. while basic services, health, water, education, continue to collapse under the continuous and systematic destruction by the militia. Amid these challenges, Sudanese national and international staff working with UNHCR continue to serve with exceptional courage and commitment. Many have lost their homes or been displaced themselves, yet they remain in the field, often risking their lives to reach those in need. Sudan's pays tribute to their dedication and professionalism, and calls for greater recognition, protection, and sustained support for their lifesaving work. We are grateful to donors who, despite competing crises, shifting priorities, continue to channel resources, especially unearmarked funding, that allows UNHCR and partners to act where needs are greatest. But it's simply not enough. Additional flexible funding is immediately needed. Sudan, therefore, appeals for timely, predictable, and unearmarked funding to close the gaps, to stabilize essential services in neighboring countries and inside Sudan, and to support Sudan's own humanitarian response plan so that the over 2 million returnees are not forced to flee again across borders in search of aid that should have reached them at home. Investment in protection and gender-based violence services, including psychological, socio-psychological care for survivors. And finally, development financing inside Sudan to strengthen the resilience of host communities and lay the groundwork for recovery. I thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Poland.

Let me be super brief. My delegation would like to recall that the budgetary decisions in this forum have usually been taken by consensus. We are interested in upholding this good tradition. Therefore, as majority of other delegations taking floor before us, we oppose any attempt to challenge this principle. for example, by insertion of new textual proposals which, as we see and know, do not enjoy common support. We are of the opinion that in these particularly challenging times, UNHCR's budgetary issues shall be excluded from any disputes, disagreements, and the budget itself adopted as originally proposed to the benefit of all persons of concern. Poland, like in previous years, will further do its part to support the Organization.

I thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Mexico. You have the floor.

Muchas gracias, senor.

Thank you very much, President. Mexico supports the budget presented by the Organization, as we said in the previous meeting of the Standing Committee. We are aware of the difficulties of the current context, and we recognize that you have tried to mitigate these as best possible. Our country will support the work of UNHCR globally, regionally, and nationally, as we have been doing up to now. Like other delegations have said, Mexico is concerned at the serious budget restrictions in our region which hamper our work. We are concerned at the cuts that affect the care provided to victims of gender-based violence, and this disproportionately affects vulnerable people. To this end, we would urge that donor countries preserve good practices that we have developed together. We would be grateful that UNHCR continue to consult States on the budget reforms and on other restructuring issues. in order to ensure that all States from all regions can contribute to the decision-making process. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next, I recognize the distinguished representative of Belgium.

Thank you. Thank you, Chairperson. Belgium wants to thank UNHCR for the budget proposal for 2026, and we give it our full support. We are very concerned that despite growing demand, UNHCR has been forced to cut its operating budget by 20% in 2026. This session has repeatedly highlighted these extraordinary financial challenges, severely impacting its capacity to provide essential protection and life-saving support to those most in need. These reductions are already having devastating consequences. They're not just operational setbacks, but represent a profound erosion of safety, dignity, and hope for millions. In this context, it is more urgent than ever to reaffirm our commitment to refugee protection and to uphold the values of shared responsibility. UNHCR's ability to respond effectively depends on predictable, sustained and principled funding. Belgium is a proud donor of multi-year flexible core financing, and we are maintaining our humanitarian budget globally in 2026. In unison with our colleagues from host countries, we strongly encourage colleagues to support UNHCR with more core and less earmarked funding. Against this backdrop, we reaffirm our firm commitment to the principle of consensus-driven budgetary decision-making in humanitarian settings. We stand ready to support UNHCR, to build further on a strategically and financially agile organization, fit for purpose, fit for the future, and to be there where it matters most. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Malawi. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. Malawi aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uganda on behalf of the Africa Group. We also support the notion to adopt the budget through consensus. We also request for burden and responsibility sharing, particularly with host countries when it comes to matters of refugees. We request for continued support for voluntary repatriation, sustainable responses, route-based approach and prudent uses of the resources made available to the organization. Increased and earmarked funding should be critical in this regard. We have taken note of the closure of the Bureau for the Southern Africa region and the opening of the multi-country offices for Zambia. We look forward to continued engagement on its operations in funding modalities, as well as the structure of the multi-country office in this regard. Malawi will continue to work with the UNHCR in ensuring that its mandate is delivered effectively. I thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Spain. You have the floor.

Thank you, President. Following the same message expressed during the general debate in defending multilateralism, my delegation would like to express our firm support to adopting the budget by consensus. We believe that the work of the UNHCR is more necessary than ever before in the face of enforced displacement across the world and humanitarian challenges. consensus for adopting the budget is not just an administrative gesture, it's a key signal of community and political commitment to protecting all refugees and IDPs. In a context of limited resources and increasing needs, sending out this message as a mark of solidarity is crucial. We would urge all delegations to be constructive so that we can come to a consensus that shows our support to the humanitarian mandate that we all share. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Iraq.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we are aware that the 2026 budget represents an adaptation to the resources available to the UNHCR due to conditions imposed on it. We have seen crises emerge and we have limited means to face them. And this relates primarily to support for refugees. We have adapted, however. And in this context, I'd like to go back to what the High Commissioner said after the statement of Iraq the other day. However, budget cuts representing 36 percent in Iraq will affect operations of the UNHCR.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. This brings me to the end of our list of speakers. I therefore turn to the Deputy High Commissioner to answer the questions raised. Ms. Clements, please.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And maybe to acknowledge that this is slightly unusual to have so many delegations intervening on this item after such a fulsome debate a couple of weeks ago in Standing Committee. But it also, I think, is quite representative of the times in which we're living and fully appreciating all of the points that were made just now by those delegations, but importantly, by those delegations that did not take the floor, but on which we heard a couple of weeks ago. These are tremendously important points that you have raised. Some, I would almost say most of the points that have been raised in the last few minutes have been already addressed in other parts of the agenda, in the general debate, in the High Commissioner's statement, in my statement. But I wanted to come to a couple of very specific points maybe to reiterate. So I think most of the delegations will be aware that the budget that you have before you, a needs-based budget, was adopted back in 2011 after a pilot in 2009 that this committee asked us to undertake. I think it's very clear, as you will have heard in the statement of yesterday, that the methodology on which that we have used to present needs, to review prioritization, to balance this, of course, against operational capacity, contributions of other partners and so on, we need to take another look at and remain very much committed to that. In the next few weeks, I think, I would not promise a date today, but in the next few weeks, we will offer a briefing to member states on what our budget looks like today. Because I go back now with the statement, for example, that was delivered by Uganda on behalf of the Africa group, Some of the budget categories that we have, I think it would be worth talking about what's in those categories and how they are delivered and how they are broken down. What was observed, I think, two weeks ago in Standing Committee is that it is a very complex budget and it has become increasingly complex to present to you, but also to other committees that look at our work. including ACABQ, for example, and other requests that we have received over the years that has meant that I think the presentation is not as crisp or as easy to understand as it could be. And I think it's before we start embarking on methodology and embarking on changes or look at structure of the budget, it's very important that this entire committee understand what is currently in that budget and how we go about implementing it and presenting it. So that will be organized within the next few weeks. There are elements of that budget, and again, I hear this clearly from the Africa group, there are elements of this budget that are very clearly also related to other elements we've talked about over the last five days. And including yesterday, some of you were involved in the grand bargain discussions, which have been an opportunity to pursue very actively, which I talked about in my statement yesterday, our high priority of trying to, the extent possible, deliver locally and through local actors. And some of what we present to you are very much, in fact, I would say the majority of what we present to you are what we provide to partners for that operational delivery. So we see also a very strong link between the localization agenda and priority, but also how we present that budget. I don't think that there are very many elements here that aren't related to each other. And so it's very important, I think, to put some of these components together before we before we go to what's next. There were comments made, and I fully appreciate all of the operational impact that you, particularly our important host partners, are articulating in this hall in terms of what the operational impact is on people that you are seeing, as was so eloquently said by the delegate from Uganda, in your backyards. And that is also something that our teams are seeing in very concrete terms and in very quick terms. This is, you know, in terms of these reductions, these are -- they're happening quickly, but the impacts are felt almost immediately. And that's something across the board I want to again acknowledge, which I know has been said as well by the High Commissioner and the Assistant High Commissioner. We are in some terms, and I want to come back to this element of why our flexibility and several of you have made the call for what I called gold yesterday for flexible, predictable resources. There is a real impact when we go in the space of a few months between flexible resources that I would say actually restricted resources that were just a quarter of the income that we received to something that approaches half of what we receive. That is a monumental change in terms of how we can respond to the unexpected. That's emergency response. That is trying to take care of some of those populations that perhaps are not in the center of the media. It is it does impact our ability to deliver on a mandate. And so flexible resources are not only an efficient way to support this organization, they have a real impact in terms of our ability to be able to address those needs we know are going unmet otherwise. And so we want to make another point to underscore that. The last point I think I would make, Mr. Chair, before we go to address some other issues that I think are to come here, is one comment I would say that the ambassador from Kenya mentioned, and this is the the focus that we've put on this budget on solutions and how important that is. And I just wanted to flag again that of a budget that across the board has been substantially less, this is one outcome area that we have not only tried to preserve, but increase, even if it's not quite enough, increase at least a little bit. And we'll look at this. Final point, and I again register all of the delegations from Southern Africa, certainly that took floor, and as was articulated by the Africa Group, this is not a part of the world that we will ignore by any stretch of the imagination, as the High Commissioner mentioned in his opening statement on Monday, and you can count on our continued support, including through the important work that you have done, quite models for other parts of the world when it comes to solution and inclusion of refugees. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Deputy High Commissioner. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, allow me to now bring to your attention the draft on administrative and financial issues regarding this item on the agenda. This draft was made available to the members of the ExCom under decision 1. As I said at the beginning, and in keeping with the working methods established, and in advance of this session, Executive Committee members previously held an informal preparatory consultation in order to discuss and negotiate texts for the ExCom decisions, which are presented to the Committee at this 76th plenary session for adoption under the relevant agenda items. This work has been ably conducted by the rapporteur of the Executive Committee, Ms Lisa Advani. I would now like to ask the rapporteur to introduce the budget decision. Ms Advani, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Mr Chairperson. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, friends. Before I present the decision under this item, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the process that has led us here. During the course of the informal consultation process, two amendments to the draft decision were proposed by one delegation. These proposals did not enjoy unanimous support, and as was put on the record by a number of Member States, this precludes their inclusion in the decision in keeping with our commitment to consensus-based decision making. I know that there has been a real demonstration of common cause and recognition of the importance and the consequence of this decision throughout the process. And so I want to take the opportunity now to welcome the engagement of all delegations in the consultations. And I would like to positively acknowledge the remarks of the Deputy High Commissioner under item 4B yesterday, where she was explicit about UNHCR's commitment to continue engaging the membership on the issues raised in these proposals. Thank you. This is greatly appreciated. I will now proceed to present the decision for approval before the Committee. I'm pleased to introduce the General Decision on Administrative, Financial and Programme Matters. As you will be aware, it is the role of this Executive Committee, as a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly, to review and approve UNHCR's programme and budgetary matters. This year, the decision seeks to approve UNHCR's programme budget for 2026. Your approval is a prerequisite for the High Commissioner to promulgate the budget. That is, for him to formally adopt the budget in order to enable UNHCR to proceed with its work. Without this process, the budget remains a proposal rather than a financial document, and UNHCR cannot begin spending or fundraising against it. Specifically, the decision approves the revised program budget for 2025, including the supplementary budgets issued in support of returns work in the Middle East and Syria, amounting to $10.6 billion. It approves the program budget for 2026, including regional programs, global programs, and headquarters for $8.5 billion. and it authorizes the High Commissioner to create supplementary budgets and issue special appeals in case of emergency needs that cannot be fully met from the operational reserve. Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

Thank you very much, Ms. Advani, for your presentation and for your leadership in drafting this text. I understand there have been two amendments introduced to this draft decision, so I'd like to open the floor for any comments. The distinguished representative of the Russian Federation has the floor.

Thank you very much, Chairman. As we noted in our first statement, we fully support the draft report and decision for 2026. At the same time, we would like to express a disagreement on principle with regard to the way that the UNHCR prepared the process for consultations and decision on the draft General Decision on Administrative, Financial and Programme Matters. The Russian Federation introduced two amendments to the draft general decision expressing support to the efforts of the UNHCR on the implementation of the recommendations on the supervisory bodies, oversight bodies, the provision of the work of the UNHCR against the background of financial difficulties, And in the text proposed by us, we also have an appeal to the High Commissioner to expand an inclusive and transparent dialogue with member states when implementing the reform initiative of UN80. In informal consultations in September, our proposals were supported by several states. At the same time, some delegations opposed our proposals. However, they did not present any reasonable arguments. During the period up to the beginning of this session of the Executive Committee, all interested parties had the opportunity to discuss and, if needed, to provide corrections to the amendments proposed. We must note that there was no discussion that was had, and all parties remained on their positions. Mr. Chairman, we are firmly convinced that the task of the UNHCR Executive Committee as the leading body, the governing body, is to adopt decisions which reflect the current state of affairs and to determine the key areas of the activities for the UNHCR for the future. What is taking place now is merely a copy-paste from year to year of the standard text of the draft General Decision without taking into consideration the changed context. Taking into consideration these challenges which the UNHCR faced in 2025, such a procedure for work appears to us to be unprofessional, short-sighted, and counterproductive. The amendments proposed by the Russian Federation remain valid, remain in force. We are grateful to the Deputy High Commissioner for the willingness to cooperate with Member States on issues relating to the implementation of the UNHAT initiatives and humanitarian issues, the humanitarian reset. The Russian amendments in the draft general decision are fully in line with the obligations you referred to, the commitments. Therefore, we are of the view that member states can approve them by consensus. At the same time, if we are unable to achieve a consensus, we will insist on voting on the amendments by roll call, by raise of hands, show of hands. Thank you.

Thank you.

Very much. And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you very much to the rapporteur for steering us this far. I would like to move, Chair, to request, with your indulgence, for an adjournment of at least 15 to 20 minutes to allow delegations, because after listening to the distinguished delegation of Russia, they are not opposed to the budget decision standard document, however, they propose inclusion of their amendments. Unfortunately, delegations do not seem to understand in clarity if the vote that will be moved on the vote of just the amendments would indent the ability to adopt the budget with consensus. So, I would request for 10 minutes or 15 to allow groups to discuss, including to be able to get a better perspective from our colleagues, the Russian delegation, so that we align and agree to come back with better instructions on how to manage the amendments away from the budget decision. Because what we get from the floor, Russia is in support of the budget decision. However, they have a position on amendments that we would like to get clarity on, on how they will be managed separately. So if you'll allow, Chair, I request for adjournment of 15 minutes. I thank you.

Thank you very much to the distinguished delegate of Uganda. Given the importance of leaving no stone unturned in the quest for consensus, we will postpone or suspend the meeting for 10 minutes, bearing in mind that time is short and there are many items to cover on the agenda. I give the floor to the secretariat to give us some information as to where you can gather to consult.

Thank you, Chairperson, distinguished delegates. For the Africa group, please proceed to Concordia 5. For the Europe region member states, Concordia 1. For the Asia member states, room 1X. and America's Concordia 2. I will repeat again for the Africa group, please convene in Concordia 5, for the European member states, Concordia 1, for the Asian Pacific member states, room 1X, and America's Concordia 2. Thank you, chairperson.

Thank you very much. We suspend the meeting for 10 minutes. Distinguished delegates, we're going to resume our meeting. Given the different viewpoints expressed, and that a member of the committee requested a vote on the amendments. The Committee will be guided by Rules 26 and 27 of the Rules of Procedure governing the Committee. In exercising the powers afforded me as president according to rule 15 of the rules of the executive committee in the rules of procedure I therefore propose that we proceed to a vote as requested by a show of hands first I will we'll have a short break so that the secretariat can confirm we have quorum. I'll let you do that, Secretariat. Thank you. After the count, the Secretariat confirms that we have quorum.

A quorum. And before we proceed, I will ask the Secretary to briefly outline the process. Secretary, you have the floor.

Mr. Chairperson, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. Rules 26 and 27 of the ExCom Rules of Procedure state that decisions of the Committee shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting. Each representative shall have one vote. Abstentions shall not be counted as a vote. And the Committee shall normally vote by a show of hands as requested by the delegation. Rule 15 of the Rules of Procedure states that, and I quote, "On all matters not covered by these rules, the chairperson shall apply the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of ECOSOC." Rule 64 of the rules of procedure of the functional commission of ECOSOC provides for voting on proposed amendments, which also applies in this case. With this in mind, the Committee shall vote on the amendments one by one.

Thank you, Chairperson.

My thanks to the Secretariat.

Vote by show of hands. I remind you that only Executive Committee members are able to vote. First, all members in favour of the first amendment, which is to add a paragraph between operative paragraph 3, a new paragraph between letters b and c. So, all members in favour of the first amendment, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Please keep the nameplates up. The Secretary is finalizing the counting. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplates. Now, all members not in favor of the first amendment, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplates. Now, all members abstaining, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplates. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I would like to ask you that you remain seated while the Secretariat tallies the votes. Thank you. I So for the first amendment, in favor 17, not in favor 46, abstentions 23. With this result, the first amendment has not been adopted. Now we will proceed to the vote of the second amendment contained in letter D of operative paragraph 3 of the draft decision. All members in favour of the second amendment, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplates. Now, all members not in favour of the second amendment, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplates. Now, all members abstaining on this second amendment, please raise your nameplate now and keep it visible. Do we have? Yes. Thank you very much. You may lower your nameplate. The results of the vote are as follows. In favor, 14. Not in favor, 49. Abstentions, 24. Considering the results, the second amendment proposed has not been adopted. Distinguished delegates, may I take it now that the Executive Committee wishes to approve the budget of the programme for 2026 as it is contained in the draft decision. I see no objections. The Russian Federation, please.

Thank you for giving me the floor, Chairman. The Russian Federation is not blocking the adoption of the general decision, regardless of the outcome of the vote just held. At the same time, we would like to express our disagreement in principle as to how the process of the discussion of the draft decision on administrative, financial and programme matters was organized. The lack of transparency and involvement of Member States is what distinguishes the UNHCR from other UN organizations for the worse. which negatively distinguishes the UNHCR from other UN organizations. In these organizations, the oversight bodies carry out consultations and at a minimum try to achieve a consensus. For us in this context, It's very clear that there's a lack of reform within the UNHCR administrative system, and this would be in line with the Secretary-General's initiative in the context of UN80. We are certain that such a reform has long since been required, and we expect that over the next budget period, we will be able to discuss such a reform with all interested parties that are not indifferent to this. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I see no further requests for the floor, so can I take it? The United Kingdom, please.

Thank you, Chair. I'll be brief. Throughout this session, we have consistently heard of the unprecedented financial pressures facing the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. These constraints place immense strain on the ability of UNHCR to deliver lifesaving assistance and protection to those most in need. In this context, we underscore the critical importance of preserving the integrity and effectiveness of UNHCR's operations. We reaffirm our strong support for the long-standing principle of consensus-based budgetary processes in humanitarian fora and oppose any challenge to this principle.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Uganda, please.

Thank you, Chair. Uganda would like to be on the record first to thank Russia for your constructive approach in not blocking the consensus of adoption of the budget, and we hope that when we proceed, we'll adopt it despite the loss on the amendments. Uganda would like to explain why we chose to abstain. Like it was made clear, there was a lot of confusion leading to today on the method, on the process, and how this would go. For a sovereign state to make a vote or cast a vote, we need instructions that have to be clear from our capitals. Unfortunately, with the uncertainty that surrounded the whole process. We believe and hope, and thank you to DHC in your statement that you made clear that you remain committed to come back to States to engage. We hope in the future we, under the guidance of the Bureau, can be guided transparently in a more meaningful, constructive engagement to inform the final outcome and eventually avoid such dangerous precedents that have been experienced today. I'm afraid that today was a pure demonstration of division in the multilateral system, but we still believe that there is room for amending and bringing everyone together as long as we respect every delegation's views in a more open and constructive manner. With that said, Uganda supports the adoption of the decision by consensus and remain committed to work constructively in the future to see what can be taken on and what cannot be taken. I thank you.

Thank you very much.

I offer the floor to Ukraine, please.

Thank you, Chair, for giving me the floor. As you all know from the news, today, overnight, Russia carried out yet another massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. a cynical and calculated attack with more than 450 long-range drones and over 30 missiles targeting precisely life-sustaining facilities. I emphasize life-sustaining facilities, not military targets. The Russian Federation did this on the 10th of October, said anniversary of the first massive attack on our energy infrastructure, which happened in 2022. Half of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and more than 10 other regions have been cut off from power. Dozens of civilians have been injured across the country. This is exactly what we warned about the Executive Committee during the general debate. Ahead of the heating season, Russia has been deliberately disrupting access of millions of Ukrainians to essential services. making their daily life unbearable, thus worsening immense humanitarian and displacement crisis. Russia's deeds speak louder than its words. What they have been doing in the course of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine is exactly the opposite to our shared values of humanity, compassion, respect for human rights, and human dignity. Russia's amendments were not about bringing about positive changes. not about improving the plight of the forcibly displaced persons globally. Quite the opposite. They were about grandstanding, instilling chaos, sowing discord and divisions between our member states, and ultimately about weakening UNHCR and undermining its mandate. That's why Ukraine voted against Russia's proposals. We are also grateful to all other UNHCR member states who rejected its manipulative attempt to divide us. I thank you.

Thank you.

I'm going to appeal to the delegations who have requested the floor to explain their vote following the vote, that they could please be as concise as possible. and stick to the item before us. Next, Argentina, please.

Thank you, Chair. We thank the Secretariat for circulating the draft budget for 2025 to 2026 under item six of the agenda. Whilst Argentina would have joined the consensus for adopting the programme budget for 2026, we would be remiss not to include that the narrative of the text includes description that in this context does not enjoy full consensus. Our country does not share the issues of gender that are included in the 2030 agenda. Thank you very much, Chair.

Thank you very much. France, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Throughout this session, we have heard about the unprecedented financial difficulties facing the UNHCR and its constraints affecting its ability to implement its mandate, which is crucial to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable and to save lives. In this extremely difficult context, France recalls its longstanding commitment to the principle of adoption of the budget by consensus without a repeated discussion of the proposed amendments which had not achieved consensus in this room.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. There are no further requests for the floor. The Russian Federation, please.

Thank you, Chairman. We speak under our right of reply. First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude to the representative of the states on the southwestern border of the Russian Federation. They have again demonstrated incompetence and violated the rules of procedure. Of course. We reject all accusations that were made against the Russian Federation as they are unfounded. And we call to uphold the rules of procedure to speak to the agenda item under discussion. Thank you.

Thank you very much. With that, if there are no more requests for the floor, May I take it that the Executive Committee wishes to adopt the decision on the budget of the Programme for 2026 as contained in the decision? I see no objections. It is so decided. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Let us now consider agenda item 7, review of UNHCR's consultations with non-governmental organizations, which took place this year under the theme, safeguarding the right to seek asylum and ensuring protection in internal displacement. I am pleased to welcome to the podium the rapporteurs who will jointly report on the consultations with NGOs. Mr. Lukendo Mbokani Mpara of the Refugee-led Organisation Network RILON Uganda and Ms. Andrea Nunez Flores-Rey of Save the Children International. Senor Mubcane, you have the floor.

I've been told first, First.

Of all, Ms. Nunez-Flores Frey, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. Excellencies, UNHCR and NGO colleagues, we are honored to report on UNHCR's global engagement with NGOs and on the regional consultations held this year. For over 30 years, these consultations have reflected UNHCR's commitment to collaboration with NGOs and the principles of partnerships. Even amid the challenges the sector is facing in 2025, this engagement has endured and strategic dialogue has remained a collective priority, especially through targeted and open sessions, including dedicated spaces for refugee-led organizations. These discussions focus on advancing sustainable responses, operationalizing the root space approach, and addressing evolving funding landscape. They reinforce the necessity of coordination and the inclusion of NGOs in shaping UNHCR's programs. Regionally, consultations in the Americas, Middle East and North Africa, East Africa, Europe, and Asia Pacific brought together over 650 participants, both online and in person. NGOs in all their diversity local, national, international, grassroots networks and organizations led by forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Dear Chair, Excellencies, the regional consultations focus on the theme of safeguarding asylum and strengthening protection. During discussions, we recalled that every person fleeing persecution, conflict, or violence has the right to seek asylum and to access international protection. We strongly believe that the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol remain the best instruments for protection and are more essential than ever. We will support your efforts to ensure this remains the case. The consultations reaffirmed that refugees are not only right holders, they are agents of their own protection. Their voice, their perspective and expertise must be central to decision making, program design and policy frameworks. We also recall the importance of ensuring access to protection for internally displaced people and addressing statelessness. Allow us to share some key recommendations from the regional consultations and to invite you to read the detailed reports that will be available online. In the Americas, we encourage States, with the support of UNHCR and NGOs, to enhance refugee status determination procedures through modalities that comply with international standards. to ensure effective access to information and asylum procedures, particularly in border areas, supported by legal aid and guidance, and to strengthen coordination mechanisms between asylum systems and institutional and community actors, building on existing regional frameworks. For Europe, in a period of growing racism and xenophobia, NGOs highlighted the growing trend of criminalizing people forced to flee and those defending them. Recommendations towards member states include, first, warranty clear, accessible, and fair asylum procedures, supported by mobile or hybrid legal services in multiple languages. Second, provide targeted training for authorities on protection principles and the need of marginalized groups. And third, establish monitoring mechanisms for accountability when violations occur, whether pushbacks, arbitrary detention, or denial of access procedures. In Asia-Pacific, recommendations from NGOs for UNHCR and member states include to support the establishment and strengthening of national asylum systems and statelessness procedures with adequate resources and capacity. and promote access to territory, screening and referrals of new arrivals with specific vulnerabilities and protection needs. Thank you. I now hand over to my colleague from Uganda.

Dear Chair, Excellencies, under the theme of self-guarding asylum and strengthening protection, we also discuss the root-based approach in Europe, Asia Pacific and East Africa. Mixed movements of refugees and migrants are not new, yet too many refugees are left without protection, safe pathways or fair access to asylum. A coordinated multi-stakeholder approach is essential to uphold dignity, rights and international protection. Recommendations are directed to Member States. NGOs, and UNHCR, in recognition that our collective action is needed to succeed. First, across regions, strengthen cross-border coordination, harmonize procedures, referral systems, and case management to ensure continuous protection. Second, formally recognize the role of civil society in asylum system. In particular, refugee-led and diaspora organizations possess a comparative advantage in protecting people on the move. Thirdly, addressing the root causes of unsafe onwards movements must be central to programming. This includes tackling economic hardship, registration suspension, limited or no access to asylum, conflict and climate-related displacement in communities of origin. Finally, we urge Member States to expand third country solution to reduce reliance on pressure on dangerous routes. Resettlement programs, which are critical protection and life-saving tools for those most at risk, must be scaled and prioritized. The unprecedented funding situation of this year drove us to focus on another sub-theme, the urgent need to protect and build on localization gains globally. Our reflection include resourcing is urgent. Local actors who remains on the ground providing critical services needs predictable, flexible funding now more than ever. Local actors must be empowered and international actors must step back when appropriate, share space and support local leadership with humility. In support of localisation, strengthen and meaningful refugee participation is recognised as a cross-cutting principle. We would like to invite donors to engage in follow-up dialogues to address barriers for local actors in accessing funding. Dear Chair, Excellencies, next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a milestone that reminds us of the enduring commitment of states to safeguard protection, safety, and dignity. However, this year we have all witnessed the devastating consequences of funding cuts coupled with growing restriction on asylum, rising populism and threats to multilateralism. In this difficult context, we must remind and re-emphasize to all stakeholders that the Global Compact on Refugees is also a critical framework for protection rooted in solidarity, responsibility sharing and inclusive participation. In December, the Global Refugee Forum progress review will be another reflection point to gather momentum, recommit to our collective goals and push forward practical solutions. We encourage states to take stock and report on their pledge implementation. Show solidarity and highlight progress made. You can count on us to do the same. To conclude, Excellencies, Chair, our recommendations are grounded in humanity. They are not abstract policy points. They are about real people. Upholding rights requires courage, collaboration, and commitment. It demands that governments, civil society, and international partners work not only efficiently, but also compassionately to ensure that dignity, protection, and hope are never denied to those who seek refuge. The NGO community stands steadfast in defending the Salaam space and looks forward to continued work with UNHCR and its executive committee to demonstrate what is possible when we uphold these principles together?

I thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you to Ms. Nunez-Flores Frey and Mr. Mucane for the presentations. Given the time, we will come back to this agenda item this afternoon, with my thanks, of course, to the interpreters for giving us extra time. I will adjourn this morning's meeting, the ninth meeting of the 76th session of the ExCom, and I would ask delegations to be back punctually at 3pm, given that time is short. This meeting is adjourned.