ICVA updates

1. ICVA General Assembly - Follow up

   ICVA's General Assembly was held on 18 & 19 May. We had a high level of participation with 105 organisations registered and attendance of a minimum of 100 participants at any moment for our first online General Assembly.  

   The General Assembly adopted the ICVA 2030 Strategy, the Strategic Priorities 2022-2024 and the Commitment and Motion to Action on the Climate and Environment.  Proposed amendments to the ICVA Statutes were approved.  Members also reaffirmed principles and standards they adopted individually when joining ICVA and/or reaffirmed individually in 2017. 

   The General Assembly elected a new Board and Chair. Ms Jane Backhurst of Christian Aid, was elected as Chair. The new Board elected Dr Unni Krishnan as the Vice Chair at their first meeting on 20 May. 

2. ICVA Annual Conference 2021 - Follow up

   We enjoyed a lively and informative Annual Conference this year! With over 1,300 participants we were thrilled to engage with ICVA members, NGOs, NGO fora, States, donors, UN agencies, experts and other climate and environment sector stakeholders to share experiences, lessons learned, challenges and ways forward around the issues of climate, environment and humanitarian action. 

   If you missed any of the sessions, you can still catch up on what was shared by watching the recordings!  Each of our four sessions were recorded so you wouldn't miss a thing.

   All details for the conference are still available on our website, including things like the speaker bios and list of initiatives, background and further reading, and the concept note. 

   Stay tuned for our Annual Conference 2021 Report which will be published in the coming weeks. More details to come!

ICVA's 2020 Annual Report

3. Discover ICVA's key achievements from 2020!

   In our Annual Report you will find extensive information on how ICVA responded to the challenges raised in 2020. Through diverse approaches and multiple streams of activities, ICVA lived out our mission to make humanitarian action more principled and effective by working collectively and independently to influence policy and practice.

   The digital format reduces our environmental impact, links to our website and showcases some of our video content. READ NOW 

   Forced Migration

4. The World Bank Group framework and approach to forced displacement

   On 12 May, ICVA organised a meeting between the World Bank Group and its members on the IDA 19 Window for Host Communities and Refugees, the Refugee Policy Review Framework and the Global Compact on Refugees implementation. NGOs from various regional locations provided their insightful perspectives on the Bank’s ongoing projects with forcibly displaced and host communities, policy dialogues as well as challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notes will be shared soon with ICVA members and further exchanges will be organised in the near future, in particular on the Bank’s work on internal displacement.

5. UNHCR and NGOs in Europe Dialogue

   On 27 May, ICVA co-organised with ECRE and UNHCR Regional Bureau of Europe the second dialogue of the year within the framework of the UNHCR Regional Consultations with NGOs. Gathering 35 participants, both from UNHCR and NGOs, the Dialogue focused on several regional situations as well as common initiatives that can be addressed jointly by UNHCR and NGO partners. Drawing on several calls from the NGO statement on Europe delivered at UNHCR 80^th Standing Committee of March 2021, NGOs and the Europe Bureau Director also exchanged on current externalisation trends, access to asylum and territory, pushbacks, family reunification and the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Moderated by ECRE, the Q&A part included NGOs’ interventions related to Greece, Turkey, the EU Pact, family reunification, as well as pushbacks along the Western Balkan route.

6. Executive Committee Conclusion on international protection and durable solutions in the context of a public health emergency

   On 10 May 2021, ICVA and UNHCR organised a briefing for NGOs, on the process of developing the 2021 Executive Committee Conclusion focusing on international protection and durable solutions in the context of a public health emergency. The briefing was an opportunity to discuss the process and main aspects of the draft conclusion with the ExCom Rapporteur, Dr. Gregor Schotten from Germany, including the role of NGOs and displaced populations in preventing and responding to a public health emergency; safeguarding fundamental international protection principles; inclusive policies and access to health care; access to durable solutions. ICVA will remain engaged on this process, on behalf of NGOs.
7. Protection and Solutions in mixed movements along the Central and Western Mediterranean routes

   UNHCR and the Mixed Migration Center launched a ‘Roadmap for advocacy, policy development, and programming: Protection in mixed movements along the Central and Western Mediterranean Routes 2021.’ The roadmap contains key recommendations for advocacy, policy development, and programming to enhance the protection of refugees and migrants in mixed movements and to advocate for solutions. ICVA will keep its members appraised of future engagement on the issue. More information on the roadmap can be found here.