Attachments
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This document is based on Ethiopia’s 2016 Leaders’ Summit ‘pledge commitments’ as articulated in the ‘Roadmap’1 of 2017 – focused on Melkadida / Dollo Ado in Liban Zone of the Somali Regional State (SRS). Combined with the baselines expressed in the Roadmap, and follow up reports drafted for 2018, information presented in this 2019 Pledge (Implementation) Progress Report is commencing to form a foundation for tracking and evidence-based follow up on the pledges. Detailed pledge key activity tables are in Annex I.
Compiled as a UNHCR publication, this report serves the wider stakeholder community pursuing the Global Compact on Refugees / Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (GCR/CRRF) in Ethiopia. Such data gathering, compilation and presentation is part of UNHCR’s expected ‘catalytic and supportive role’ in the GCR.
Ethiopia’s Nine 2016 Pledges
Out of Camp Pledge
- Expansion of the “Out-of-Camp” policy to benefit 10% of the current total refugee population.
Education Pledge 2. Increase of enrolment in primary, secondary and tertiary education to all qualified refugees without discrimination and within the available resources.
Work and Livelihoods Pledges
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Provision of work permits to refugees and to those with permanent residence ID, within the bounds of domestic law.
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Provision of work permits to refugees in the areas permitted for foreign workers, by giving priority to qualified refugees.
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Making available irrigable land to allow 100,000 people (amongst them refugees and local communities) to engage in crop production.
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Building industrial parks where a percentage of jobs will be committed to refugees.
Documentation Pledges
- Provision of other benefits such as issuance of birth certificates to refugee children born in Ethiopia, possibility of opening bank accounts and obtaining driving licenses.
Social and Basic Services Pledge
- Enhance the provision of basic and essential social services.
Local Integration Pledge
- Allowing for local integration for those protracted refugees who have lived for 20 years or more in Ethiopia.
This report demonstrates that significant progress has been made in Liban zone in 2019 on implementation of the pledges. This attests to the impressive commitment of the people and the Government of Ethiopia (GoE), with support from various line ministries and bureaus, and the Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA). Highlights are especially evident in Agricultural Livelihoods, Education and Documentation, all with an overall focus on social cohesion. Significant linkages have been made between refugee-focused activities and local development plans, working closely with the two woredas and the kebeles (local districts) surrounding the five (5) refugee camps: Melkadida, Bokolmanyo, Buramino,
Hilaweyn and Kobe. The Liban zone saw a slight increase in its refugee population in 2019, and the security situation remained largely stable.
Liban zone continues to see significant investments by development partners, including the private sector. For example, the IKEA Foundation, UK, EU, Sida, the Netherlands and the World Bank have all contributed to cross-sectoral CRRF progress in 2019.