Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Nigeria + 3 more

Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin - Abuja Action Statement, 8 June 2016

Attachments

We, the Governments of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, with the support of technical and financial partners gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, on 6 to 8 June 2016 within the framework of the Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with the technical facilitation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to discuss the most urgent protection risks in the Lake Chad Basin resulting from the conflict-induced crisis;

Agree on comprehensive actions to enhance protection and respond to the most urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other affected populations;

Note that the Boko Haram insurgency and its spill over into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger have caused the displacement of over 2.7 million people in the region, of whom 2.1 million are internally displaced in Nigeria, while some 155,000 Nigerian refugees have sought asylum in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The refugee-hosting countries also have sizeable IDP populations (Cameroon: 200,000; Chad: 110,000; and Niger: 127,208);

Reaffirm the validity of the principles and standards of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol as well as the 1969 Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (“OAU Refugee Convention”), in particular the principle of non-refoulement; the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa ("Kampala Convention"), especially the prohibition of forced displacement and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (“1954 and 1961 Conventions on Statelessness”);

Recognize that while military operations have led to significant advances in the fight against Boko Haram and have brought back a number of areas in north-eastern Nigeria under Government control, conditions in much of the north-east are not yet conducive for the return of Nigerian refugees and IDPs, due to continuing insecurity and the absence of basic services which pose acute humanitarian and protection risks for the affected populations, particularly in Borno state;

Further note that alongside persistent threats from Boko Haram, the presence of mines and unexploded improvised devices, climatic change as well as the drying up of Lake Chad, which exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities, further poses protection risks for the affected populations in the border regions of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, where Boko Haram attacks on civilians also continue or have intensified in some instances;

Recognize the legitimate national security concerns of the States and the need to ensure an appropriate balance between security and human rights, the obligation to protect IDPs and refugees, and the right to seek and enjoy asylum;

Stress the importance of maintaining the civilian and humanitarian character of refugee and IDP-hosting areas as an important protection standard with broad implications on other protection issues such as physical security, the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), prevention of child recruitment as well as access to assistance;

Note that the crisis has seriously impacted the most vulnerable civilians, including refugees, IDPs and host communities, particularly women and children at risk, older persons and persons with disabilities or serious medical conditions; that violence against women and children, including SGBV, is widespread, that many persons have suffered the trauma of violent experiences and that there is a significant rise in the number of child and female-headed households;

Welcome the progress made in the region in identifying, preventing and reducing statelessness, including the signing of the 2015 Abidjan Declaration of Ministers of ECOWAS Member States on Eradication of Statelessness by Nigeria and Niger, while recognizing that there are still important challenges, in particular the high number of persons in the region who lack documentation and have difficulties proving their nationality and therefore remain at risk of statelessness.

In view of the foregoing:

In the area of forced displacement and freedom of movement in conflict, we agree to:

  1. Take concrete steps, including continuous monitoring, to ensure that security measures such as restrictions on freedom of movement in the context of state of emergency and evacuations comply with international standards, and are temporary and exceptional in nature.

  2. Strengthen collaboration between government actors, humanitarian organisations, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the voluntariness of return and the freedom of movement of displaced persons as well as their physical security.

  3. Develop and implement practical measures to ensure an appropriate balance between security and respect for the right to seek and enjoy asylum, including respect for the principle of non-refoulement, protection of IDPs and related human rights.

  4. Promote knowledge and training among all stakeholders, including government actors, such as security forces, international organizations and civil society, of the limits and safeguards of refugee and IDP protection, as outlined in international and regional legal instruments such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, the 1969 OAU Convention, and the Kampala Convention.

  5. Enhance regional coordination and exchange of best practices through greater engagement by States and humanitarian actors with regional institutions such as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

  6. Commit to prioritize the ratification, domestication and implementation of international conventions, including the Kampala Convention.