Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commision (PBC), at the PBC meeting on the development and peace dimensions of forced displacement: Countries’ best practices in creating durable solutions - July 1st, 2024

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates

We have come to the end of what I believe has been a very insightful meeting. I thank the presidency of the ECOSOC for this opportunity of merging the attention of both the ECOSOC and the PBC on such a central and pivotal matter on our respective agendas.

Our debate was enriched both with contributions of our distinguished panel members -- which included the voices of IDPs themselves – and the experiences and views of Member States on how to address the challenges of forced displacement.

While a summary of our meeting will be prepared by the Secretariat, let me share just some of the key highlights, which, in my view, can help inform the follow-up by both our UN bodies.

First, it was clear from all interventions that we are faced with a common and global challenge: the staggering high number of forced displacements around the world, provoked by different causes, but making it a global human crisis and a tremendous challenge for the UN system.

Too many men, women and children are uprooted from their place of origin due to the increased number of conflicts, disasters and climate change. Within this context, today there was a resounding call that we can no longer do business as usual – and we should not.

Similarly, there is a broad consensus that internal displacement should no longer be viewed as just a humanitarian or human rights issue.

It is a collective issue, no doubt about it. And if we want to have effective, meaningful and durable solutions for the forcibly displaced, we need to adopt a comprehensive approach. It must involve all actors: humanitarian, development, human rights, political and peacebuilding actors. And solutions can only be found and sustained if among all those actors we can manage to leverage their comparative advantages to work in synchrony from the very onset of displacement and in a simultaneous way.

Second, we must improve the understanding of root causes of displacement, as well as who the displaced and their hosts are, their socio-economic profiles, needs, associated protection risks, intentions, capacities and available resources. This is essential to identifying a more targeted and comprehensive approach to solutions. We also must work towards prevention, response and solutions in a simultaneous way and as part of that comprehensive approach.

Third, IDPs are and remain, despite of their move, citizens of their country. They cannot be marginalized or left behind. The SDGs make specific reference to recognize their contributions to the development and growth of their country, but also the need to ensure full respect for their human rights. IDPs may find temporary resolutions to their socio-economic challenges but their long-term safety, security, documentation and freedom of movement are paramount for the exercise of their human rights to prevent secondary, repeated or cyclical displacement.

Fourth, there are real opportunities for both ECOSOC and the PBC to work together to facilitate solutions in a number of internal displacement contexts that the PBC is covering.

Opportunities can and must be seized within our respective mandates as intergovernmental bodies – political bodies - to work closely together if we want to make a difference in the life of the so many displaced people around the world.

As we all gear up towards the Summit of the Future, the Peacebuilding review Architecture and at the end our strong resolve to leaving no one behind - we have to find ways to translate into impact what we commit to do.

We need to remind ourselves that beyond our words there are people who expect from us to deliver for them. To prevent that their situation repeats endlessly in their own countries or in other countries.

There is not a one-size fits all solution and in the PBC we strongly advocate that national ownership is key to tackling and solving any peacebuilding or conflict prevention strategy. But we have a collective obligation to help countries find durable answers by supporting them to sustainably reintegrate IDPs in their places of origin, local communities or other areas of their country if we want to achieve sustainable peace and development.

For that we need to forge closer partnership with IDPs, local communities, national and local authorities, donors and development finance actors, civil society and the private sector. This should be a collective endeavour.

Finally, as the speakers rightly acknowledged, the ECOSOC and the Peacebuilding Commission are well placed to move this agenda forward. We must ensure that this collaboration and complementarity between humanitarian, peace, and development actors are translated into concrete actions on the ground, in support of national strategies on prevention and on the building of pathways to durable solutions for displacement. The PBC chair is  committed to fostering the partnership with the ECOSOC in supporting these efforts.

Thank you.