Advisory Committee Workshop, 4-5 February 2019

January 15, 2019
Events

Background and Introduction to the Workshop

The Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) was established on 1 July 2016 to follow up on the work started by the Nansen Initiative and to implement the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda. The overall objective of PDD is:

To strengthen the protection of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters, including those linked to the effects of climate change, and to prevent or reduce disaster displacement risks.

To support the implementation of activities aimed at achieving this objective, PDD has a structure that includes a Steering Group, consisting of 17 States and the European Union, an Advisory Committee, with over 100 members, including individuals and representatives of international and regional organizations, research institutions, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society stakeholders, and a small Coordination Unit, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, Bangladesh is the Chair of the PDD and France the Vice-Chair. Prof. Walter Kaelin is the Envoy of the Chair.

The objective of the Advisory Committee is to strengthen participation and ownership of a wide range of actors in the follow-up to the Nansen Initiative and in the implementation of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda. The Advisory Committee’s function is twofold: i) to provide expert input and strategic advice to the Chair and Steering Group of PDD and ii) to support implementation of activities in the Workplan.

The first meeting of the PDD Advisory Committee was held on 13-14 October 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. It served to constitute the Advisory Committee and provide input and feedback to PDD’s Strategic Framework and Workplan 2016-2019.

The second meeting was held on 23-24 October 2017 in Bogis Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland and served to take stock of progress made and follow-up on implementation of recommendations from the first meeting.

Objectives of the Workshop

The third meeting of the Advisory Committee serves as an opportunity to shape PDD’s next phase, post- 2019. It will take place from 4-5 February 2019 in Bogis Bossey near Geneva, Switzerland, just four months before the end of PDD’s initial strategic framework and Workplan and shortly after the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration and COP24.

As in previous years, it will allow participants to exchange and share their latest work and ongoing or planned initiatives around the topic of disaster displacement. Above all, this meeting provides the opportunity to plan future collaborative engagement and formulate strategic advice for PDD’s next steps.

The objectives of the third meeting of the PDD Advisory Committee are:

to take stock of implementation, progress made and lessons learned during PDD’s Strategic Framework 2016-2019 with a view to informing the development of a new strategy 2019-2022.
to formulate strategic advice to the Steering Group regarding PDD’s role and engagement in the implementation of important global policy processes, including the Global Compact for Migration and on Refugees, the Sendai Framework and follow-up to the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC, including the work of the WIM Task Force on
to finalize the action plan on how to address gaps and data challenges and share information on new research, knowledge and data initiatives (Data Knowledge Working Group).

to share information on ongoing and planned initiatives and identify priorities for enhanced collaboration, coordination and engagement at global, regional and national levels by Advisory Committee

Methodology and Expected Results

The two-day workshop will consist of presentations and discussions in moderated plenary sessions as well as group discussions. Participants will be asked to come prepared with ideas and suggestions for the joint implementation of relevant policy processes and will work in groups to formulate recommendations.

The expected results from the workshop include:

Stock-taking of the implementation of the PDD Strategic Framework and Workplan 2016-2019, including on mainstreaming efforts within the UN
Elements for an Action Plan on how to address data gaps and data collection
Formulation of strategic advice for a new PDD strategy 2019-2022 including suggestions for national, regional and thematic priorities/actions, based on implementation capacity and actionable commitments of the Advisory

Suggestions for PDD’s role and engagement in the implementation of important global policy processes, at the global, regional and national levels:

a.) Global Compacts for Migration and on Refugees

b.) UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC, including the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage Associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM) Task Force on Displacement.

c.) Sendai Framework for DRR, including the Words into Action on “Disaster Displacement: How to Reduce Risk, Address Impacts and Strengthen Resilience”.

The results of the workshop will be presented in an outcome report, which will be shared with the Advisory Committee after the meeting. The outcomes of the workshop will also be shared with the PDD Steering Group and presented at the PDD Regional Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 19-20 February 2019.

Practical and Organizational Information

Venue

The Workshop will be held at the Château de Bossey Conference Centre in Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland from 4-5 February 2019.

Participants

Participants will include PDD Advisory Committee Members, including individuals and representatives of international and regional organizations, research institutions, academia, private sector, non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society stakeholders, representatives of the Chair, the Steering Group and the Envoy of the Chair.

Other administrative details

The Workshop will be organized by the Coordination Unit of PDD and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), with generous funding from the Federal Government of Germany. PDD has funding to cover the travel and accommodation cost for approximately 20 participants. Priority will be given to participants with limited means to travel to Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland. Representatives from international organizations are kindly requested to defray their own expenses. Please note that participants requiring travel and accommodation assistance are kindly requested to indicate their specific needs as soon as possible.

Download the Workshop Agenda