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*_Geneva, Switzerland Thursday 14 December 2023_*
- The Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), Ambassador Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina, has on behalf of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, pledged to the global supports for refugees to effectively and efficiently address the numerous challenges faced by refugees around the world at the ongoing Second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) 2023 at the Palexpo Complex in Geneva.
The Global Refugee Forum is held every four years, and is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. It is designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees: Ease pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, increase access to third-country solutions and improve conditions in countries of origin.
In his statement, the Head of Sierra Leone’s Delegation, Ambassador Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina, Commissioner of National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), highlighted the progress made by the Government of Sierra Leone, shared the experience and good practices in handling refugee issues, and outlined some of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
"Today", Commissioner Ndomahina said, "the world is becoming less safe because of conflicts and instabilities coupled with the threat we face from the climate crisis. These and many other societal factors are pushing people, families, and whole communities out of their homes, and more often now than ever before, forcefully".
It could be recalled that Sierra Leone transitioned from itself being a refuge source country with over half of its population leaving for other countries between 1991 and 2000, to becoming a host country for refugees.
Sierra Leone in collaboration with the UNHCR, the ECOWAS Commission, and other international organizations successfully implemented the physical and legal reforms for the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.
To contribute to the strengthening of global refugees mechanisms, Commissioner Ambassador Ndomahina on behalf of the President and people of Sierra Leone pledged to:
1: Implement the adopted National Action Plan on Statelessness to ensure that by 2026 80% of persons identified at risk of becoming stateless persons are regularized.
2: Foster increased access to social rights through access to documentation and inclusion into the Productive Social Safety-Nets and Youth Employment Project to at least 1,500 persons by 2026
3: Mobilize millions of dollars to implement 93 socio-economic infrastructure projects identified in 19 refugee host communities for the full implementation of “Tenki Salon” project by 2024-2026 to foster a sustainable inclusion of refugees in host communities in the South-eastern and North-western Regions
4: Secure sustainable access to land in order to reinforce social inclusion for 3500 forcibly displaced in protracted situation by 2025/26
Commissioner Ndomahina calls on the UNHCR, ECOWAS and other international organizations to support the Government of Sierra Leone to access funds from global donors and international agencies for the full implementation of the “Tenki Salon” project and other pledges tendered for a sustainable phase-out of the remaining caseload of refugees with an effective and efficient road map to compensate host community based programmes, a critical part of the five Game Changers of His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s immediate priorities.
Commissioner Ndomahina assured world leaders that, through NaCSA, Government will continue with its efforts end statelessness and to ensure the regularization of the status of all persons of nationalities other than Sierra Leoneans.
*For More Enquiries:
Mohamed Sheriff
Information Attaché, Geneva, Switzerland
+41791756648
Email: m.sheriff@slmge.ch
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