Costa Rica assumes Chairmanship of the Platform on Disaster Displacement
30 June 2025, Geneva, Switzerland: During its last Steering Group meeting as Chair of the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), the government of Kenya passed on the baton to its Vice-Chair, the Government of Costa Rica, now Chair of the PDD until December 2026.
At the Platform on Disaster Displacement Steering Group Meeting at Ambassadorial level held in Geneva on 30 June 2025, on behalf of Kenya, Permanent Representative Ms. Fancy Chepkemoi Too and PDD Steering Group Members welcomed Costa Rica as the new PDD Chair and the Philippines as the new Vice-Chair.
Costa Rica is very proud of becoming the first Chair of the PDD from the Americas region. I feel a sense of great honor and profound responsibility for this unique initiative. Given how susceptible our region is to disasters and displacement, we are very committed to this topic,” said the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica in Geneva, H.E. Mr. Christian Guillermet.
In 2024, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) estimated 45.8 million disaster displacements, which is the highest ever recorded. Those who are most vulnerable to disaster displacement are affected more often and more severely. IDMC’s most recent data indicates that among all natural hazards, storms were the main drivers of disaster displacement, closely followed by floods.
The state-led Platform on Disaster Displacement works towards better protection for people displaced in the context of disasters and the effects of climate change. It builds partnerships between policymakers, practitioners and researchers and constitutes a multi-stakeholder forum for dialogue and implementation. The Steering Group directs and steers the work of the Platform on the basis of an approved Strategy 2024-2030.
It contains 18 States and the European Union, represented through their Permanent Missions in Geneva. Its composition reflects a wide and balanced geographic representation. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are standing invitees to the Steering Group.
The Steering Group provides political support and commitment to raise awareness on disaster displacement and to disseminate and implement the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda (NIPA). The Protection Agenda offers States a toolbox to better prevent and prepare for disaster displacement. When displacement cannot be avoided, it guides States to improve their responses to situations when people are forced to find refuge, either within their own country or across a border.
2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the NIPA. The PDD is organizing a series of events and discussions throughout the course of the year to commemorate this milestone.
Cover Photo: Platform on Disaster Displacement
