The Ministry of Interior says the upcoming Second Regional Protection Dialogue on Lake Chad Basin will develop a framework for comprehensive solutions to tackle refugees’ challenges in the region.
Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulraham Dambazau (retd), announced this at a pre-conference news briefing on Friday, January 25, 2019 in Abuja.
He said that evolving the framework was in line with international principles and standards, adding that the ministry was collaborating with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to host the conference billed for Abuja.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Mohammed Umar, said that Dialogue is a two-day programme scheduled to hold from Monday, January 28 to Tuesday, January 29.
He said that the Dialogue would review the protection situation in the Lake Chad Basin countries, including achievements two years after the adoption of the Abuja Action Statement, ongoing challenges, capacity and gaps in protection response.
He added that it would also “reinvigorate consensus around protection considerations and principles as informed by international law, standards and norms.”
“The conference also aims to boost strategic partnerships to enhance protection and solutions through coordinated and complementary response.
“It also aims to enhance visibility and continue resource mobilisation to ensure a more effective, coordinated and complementary response to the protection risk and needs as well as the search for durable solutions in the region,” Dambazau said.
He announced that the Dialogue would commence with technical/experts’ discussions, which would be followed by a ministerial-level meeting “to validate first signs and endorse the way forward’’.
The minister explained that the meeting of experts would include a mix of plenary and thematic sessions around key issues and themes with the aim to develop recommendations for consideration during the Dialogue.
He added that the thematic session would also focus on specific protection challenges like centrality of protection in humanitarian action, forced displacement and access to asylum and protection.
According to Damazau, the sessions would also focus on Civil Military Coordination and Civilian Character of Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons hosting areas (including return areas).
In June 2016, the ministry also collaborated with UNHCR to host the regional dialogue on Lake Chad Basin.
It was aimed at identifying the protection risk in the region, resulting from conflict-induced crises, and proffer solution.
By Doris Esa
