Distinguished chairperson, excellences, colleagues,
I would like to thank the Swiss Confederation and UNHCR for organizing this meeting, as well as the comprehensive approach preparing for the next Global Refugee Forum.
I thank you, High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Grandi, for your opening statement and your determined efforts. We remain strong supporters of your work and mandate – politically as well as financially.
Despite the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire, new conflicts and crises keep erupting and some old ones are deepening, including in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and in Gaza. An unprecedented number of people around the world are being forced from their homes. Estonia remains worried and strongly condemns any orchestrated instrumentalisation of human beings, whose lives and wellbeing are put in danger for political purposes. Moreover, the tangible consequences of climate change are increasingly a driver for displacement and it is important that we, states tackle climate change strongly and decisively. Today’s humanitarian and protection needs continue to outpace available resources, a trend that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. UNHCR’s approach for longer-term durable solutions, which would bring the humanitarian, development and peace actors closer together, is needed now more than ever. This timely event is an important opportunity to demonstrate Estonia’s support to UNHCR, to find better ways of helping the world’s most vulnerable and to take stock of where we are at.
First, let me emphasize the necessity of sustainable and efficient funding. Estonia is committed to the efficiency agenda and to delivering on the Grand Bargain commitments. Since 2001, we have supported UNHCR with operational grants as well as with direct contributions towards alleviating humanitarian crises around the world. Estonia has been a flexible donor to the humanitarian appeals. We have consciously moved towards increasing unearmarked funding and multi-year contributions. Respectful to the Good Humanitarian Donorship principles, we make our unearmarked annual volunatry contributions to the International humanitarian organisations early for the next year.
Second, allow me share our progress on the implementation of our Global Refugee Forum pledges. It has become more and more evident that we need digital solutions to improve the ability of the international community to collectively respond to crises. I’m glad to note that our pledge to cooperate with the UNHCR on digital identity has resulted in the secondment of an Estonian expert to the Digital Identity Unit in UNHCR’s Global Data Service, where the focus is on digital identity for refugees.
Progress has also been made in our other pledges, first, in support of refugee education and second, in support of livelihoods. For example, a project of the Estonian NGO Mondo has contributed to alleviating educational shortfalls of the schools in Ukraine and focused on psychosocial needs of the population of Luhansk oblast. Also Estonian Refugee Council offers needs-based humanitarian assistance to children affected by conflict through the provision of school kits and cash transfers, which supports school preparedness of vulnerable households living near the contact line in Eastern-Ukraine. Estonia will continue to fulfill our pledges and work towards better quality humanitarian financing.
Finally, as this year we mark the 70th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, I would like to underline that the work of UNHCR is more relevant than ever, making sure that refugees and displaced people are fully protected by international human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law.
Thank you.