#icva

Funding in Irish tech startups tops €1 billion in 2022

The Emerald Isle is continuing to grow its tech startup scene as VC funding into Irish SMEs tops €1 billion for the first nine months of 2022. It comes as a very positive sign of healthy growth in Irish tech amidst wider economic uncertainty in Europe.  Ireland, whilst a small island nation, has quickly consolidated… This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to…

Amel on the ICVA Board: The first MENA Region NGO elected

Amel Association International (Amel) has been elected, on March 21st, on the International Council of Voluntary Associations (ICVA) Board. The President of Amel, Dr. Kamel Mohanna (right), and Virginie Lefèvre (center), Amel’s Prog. & Partnerships Coordinator Virginie Lefèvre, Amel’s Prog. & Partnerships Coordinator, with the most votes of all candidates, will be representing the first NGO from…

The UNHCR Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme Standing Committee meets in Geneva annually to review and approve the agency’s programmes and budget, advise on international protection and discuss a range of other issues with UNHCR and intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

Thank you, Chair.

This statement was drafted in consultation with NGOs and attempts to reflect a diversity of views.

To begin with, we would like to note progress in the practical application of the CRRF, particularly in the regions. In East Africa, NGOs welcome the recent validation of the detailed IGAD Road Map and Results  Framework  of  the  Nairobi  Declaration and  NGO participation  in  the  planning.  In  Central America as well, we welcome the details released on the process and timeline for the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions  Framework (CRPSF). NGOs in the region are eager  to contribute and are planning various consultations that will feed into the process.

However, we cannot help noticing the persisting regional imbalance in the design and implementation of  the  CRRF, which is still focused on less developed countries  of  first  asylum.  While these  are important partners in refugee protection and need strong international solidarity, developed countries’ role cannot be limited to that of donors.

To be truly “comprehensive”, the CRRF should more actively promote durable solutions as a central piece of global responsibility-sharing. NGOs worldwide would welcome more regular updates on the CRRF roll - out in specific countries and suggest making more use of UNHCR’s CRRF Portal. We also note positive developments at country level such as the  launch  of  the CRRF Secretariat in  Tanzania, inclusive  of  national and  international NGOs. We are looking forward to learn more details on the roadmap and Terms of Reference for the Secretariat and Steering Committee. We also warmly welcome the legal reforms underway in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, in line with commitments made at the Leaders’ Summit.

The intended changes that would allow refugees greater freedom of movement and access to education, work, and services can improve the quality of asylum for hundreds of thousands of refugees. We are keen to see those changes  resulting  in  a  new reality where “care & maintenance” and confinement strategies become the exception.

However, we also note that in a number of cases, the CRRF roll-out is not unfolding as fast as originally hoped.  Multi-stakeholder  approaches  take  time.  NGOs  can contribute  to more efficient work,  but to fully leverage our capacities, more effective communication at all levels will be essential.

Moreover, NGOs would like to raise the following concerns:

Three months after the Uganda Solidarity Summit, NGOs are still concerned about the level of pledges which continues to fall short of meeting needs. NGOs also wonder whether the pledges  represented new funding  and stress the need for swift, coherent and transparent allocation. We also note the slow progress in establishing the CRRF Secretariat, which affect progress in programming and response. NGOs’ representation and role in the Secretariat and Steering Committee remain unclear, although an NGO-seconded representative to the Uganda Secretariat is now ready to get on board.

In Tanzania, we welcome the government’s recent announcement of plans to offer citizenship to the remaining 1972 Burundi refugees. However, we are disturbed by the tightening asylum space observed over the past  months, evidenced in significant pressure for return on newly arrived refugees from Burundi. There is a pressing need for more consistent monitoring of the status of refugees who have already returned to Burundi. We also call for reverting to a more integrative approach to recent arrivals in Tanzania. NGOs hope the Tanzanian government will remain committed to the CRRF and its Leaders’ Summit pledges. To be able to do so, Tanzania will also need concrete support from the international community.

With regard to Central America, NGOs welcomed the recent Geneva briefing and would appreciate further clarity on the structures developed to apply the CRSPF. This would ensure more predictable and constructive engagement. Including El Salvador in future planning should also be considered. Its displacement crisis bears structural similarities to that of its neighbours, and could thus benefit from an integrated and well-coordinated regional response.

Despite hosting the largest volumes of refugees worldwide, Asia and the Middle East continue to be absent from the formal CRRF roll-out. Throughout the regions, resettlement remains a remote possibility for most, while local integration is likewise almost impossible. Thus, further opportunities to engage the regions on the CRRF should be explored.

We also note the persistent  absence  of Europe and North  America from the  CRRF architecture. This is particularly concerning at a time when many countries in both regions implement policies in apparent contradiction with the CRRF. These regions are also key to CRRF Pillar One (reception and admission), without which no CRRF can be "comprehensive."

On the Global Compact process, NGOs appreciated the ideas shared at the first Thematic Discussion in July. NGOs strongly recommend, however, that responsibility-sharing be mainstreamed throughout the remaining discussions.  We  call  on UNHCR  to  formulate in  the  Programme  of  Action, and  Member States to support, a vision and roadmap that can set a trajectory for substantive progress in this area.

We also hope  there  will  be  opportunities  for  NGO  panelists and  refugees to showcase their good practices and analyses. NGOs are preparing substantive contributions. Thus, elements from the Child Rights  in  the  Global  Compacts Recommendations should be  highlighted,  particularly  alternatives  to detention and a comprehensive approach to protecting the rights of displaced young people.

The issue of statelessness should also be included in the coming deliberations, recalling that the New York  Declaration  recognizes that statelessness  can  be a  root  cause  of  forced  displacement,  and  that forced displacement, in turn, can lead to statelessness.

NGOs also commend UNHCR for the efforts developed since the June UNHCR-NGO Annual Consultations to increase refugees’ inclusion in the process. There is scope for collaboration in this perspective as NGOs have initiated similar efforts, including in East Africa.

In a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Honduras, and Guatemala, NGOs have been involved in discussions with governments and have in some cases developed joint NGO positions to inform the governments’ inputs into the CRRF and GCR process.

In  conclusion, Mr. Chair, let’s remember that exactly a year ago,  on 19 and 20 September, Member States reaffirmed the importance of the international refugee regime and adopted commitments to strengthen our collective capacity to address mass displacement. We need to ensure the momentum is maintained to actually deliver on those commitments.

The  geopolitical  situation  is unfortunately a constant reminder that more needs to be done in this perspective. A more detailed version of this statement is available online at Icvanetwork.org

STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S PROGRAMME

69th Session

28-30 June 2017

 NGO Statement on International Protection 

Agenda item 2(a) 

Mr. Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

This statement has been drafted in consultation with, and is delivered on behalf of, a wide range of NGOs and aims to reflect the diversity of views within the NGO community. Mr. Chair, since last year’s Standing Committee Meeting on Protection, we have seen highs and lows. The highest high was unquestionably the 19 and 20 September summits demonstrating global solidarity in response to large movements of refugees and migrants. In turn, there were several lows: divisive politics scapegoating refugees and migrants, shocking cases of asylum seekers and refugees being turned away (refoulement), increased detention of asylum seekers, the bombing of the Rann IDP settlement in Northern Nigeria, abduction of UNHCR staff in Sudan, shrinking protection space, serious gaps in asylum and reception systems, growing asylum backlogs, sexual assault and physical violence suffered by people on the move, tragic deaths at sea and by land, and a forecasted reduction (rather than expansion) of the total number of resettlement slots on offer. Given the scope of forced displacement today, we would like to draw the Standing Committee members’ attention to five key aspects we believe are central to international protection. 

First and foremost, we reaffirm the central importance of international protection and the principle of non-refoulement. 

Based on the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR’s core mandate is to ensure the international protection of uprooted people worldwide. Yet, in many parts of the world refugee protection is not enshrined in legislation, is woefully under-resourced or wilfully ignored, and in particular instances actively undermined by policies and actions which fail to meet minimum standards in humanitarian response. 

NGOs are concerned that in South Sudan ruthless military tactics have driven a massive exodus of asylum seekers into Uganda, as the South Sudanese army acts with impunity against the civilian population. Uganda has demonstrated tremendous willingness to receive refugees, but NGO and governmental capacities are being pushed to the breaking point, risking effective protection. 

NGOs remain concerned about the exodus from Pakistan of Pakistani Ahmadis and Christians due to national blasphemy laws, ongoing persecution, and the targeted killing of minorities. These refugees, like many others around the globe, suffer further mistreatment, indefinitely held in administrative detention centers in third countries, deprived of fundamental rights essential to protection. 

UNHCR states in its note that it observed pushbacks in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, but also in other parts of the world. At the June 2017 UNHCR-NGO Annual Consultations, the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection mentioned non-refoulement as the “core of the core” of protection. Non-refoulement is binding on all States at all times, even if they are not party to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol. The NGO community calls on all governments to respect, in all circumstances, the principle of non-refoulement. 

Second, we wish to raise the importance of statelessness in our discussions on international protection. 

The existence of about 10 million stateless people today represents a serious failure to provide protection at the national, regional and international levels. To achieve UNHCR’s stated goal to end statelessness by 2024, NGOs call upon States to put in place robust safeguards for preventing and addressing statelessness and protecting stateless persons through legal frameworks. NGOs urge States to strengthen support of UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign, the Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality, and the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights. Finally and most importantly, NGOs call upon all States to accede to the Statelessness Conventions, and enact reforms of nationality laws that discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity, and ability. Where needed, this would ensure special protection for vulnerable displaced women and children and that international legal obligations are upheld, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

UN agencies, including UNHCR, and civil society organisations must make available their expertise and capacities in other to support States in the application of their international protection obligations. States should call upon the assistance of partners in situations of crisis and/or when States are unable, due to circumstances or otherwise, until States authorities’ recovery. NGOs welcome the ongoing work on an ExCom Conclusion on Machine Readable Travel Documents, which is meant to focus on stateless people as well as refugees. Such travel documents can indeed bring concrete benefits for both categories through providing legal identity. Provided proper data protection measures are in place, issuance of such travel documents can improve access to rights, durable solutions and complementary pathways. 

NGOs welcome the fact that civil society perspectives were included in the informal briefing on technical and administrative aspects of travel documents organized on 29 May. NGOs continue to be ready for constructive engagement with ExCom members and UNHCR on this topic. NGOs also reiterate the position that a Conclusion on resilience and self-reliance, although postponed, should be covered by ExCom’s future workplan. 

Third, we want to highlight the issue of access to education, especially for refugee children and youth. 

Education is essential for the enjoyment of other refugee rights, and must remain an integral part of UNHCR’s Framework for the Protection of Children. We urge States to keep child protection a priority and to ensure the basic human rights of children are upheld at all levels, consistent with the principle of best interest of the child. This must include, among other things, early childhood development, providing quality basic and secondary education for refugee and displaced children to enable them to realize their full potential and equip them for the future. It is also important to provide an adequate curriculum and formal provision of legally recognised educational certificates and basic freedom of movement rights in order to pursue higher education where available. 

UNHCR and governments must provide greater attention to and resources for secondary education for refugee children, especially in protracted displacement situations. NGOs call on UNHCR and host countries to rapidly enlist the aid of development partners to provide funding for adequate classrooms and other facilities for refugees, recognising the value of engaging and providing access for host communities. 

Let’s recall that youth access to education was identified as one of the ten challenges for refugee youth following the 2016 UNHCR-NGO Consultations. The young refugees consistently identified the difficulty of obtaining recognition for their existing qualifications and accessing quality learning, formal education, and skills-building opportunities as a serious challenge, which should be addressed. 

NGOs commend UNHCR for its support of the Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts, and call upon States to fully support this initiative, including specific support for Goal 5: ensuring access to basic services for all refugee and migrant children, including access to health, education, and psychosocial services. 

Fourth, resettlement and complementary pathways are central protection mechanisms that must be enhanced. 

In 2015, less than one per cent of the 16 million refugees and asylum seekers worldwide were resettled. While the focus should be on sharing responsibility, States tend to evade that responsibility through border control, ‘securitization’, and low acceptance quotas. Canada’s very robust, privately sponsored refugee program enables Canadian people and communities to directly sponsor refugees. This initiative should be replicated, and States should ensure private and community sponsorship programmes come not within but in addition to resettlement quotas. Community-based resettlement and pathways have proven to be most effective and comforting for refugees. 

We urge States and UNHCR to make the refugee status determination and resettlement process more comprehensive and efficient so that the refugee experience is minimized, and resettlement can take place sooner and for greater numbers. NGOs look forward to working with UNHCR and international and national organisational partners to establish ways to strengthen our joint capacities. UNHCR must support NGOs working towards the CRRF objectives and urge States to adequately support host communities and the self-reliance of refugees. This should be prioritized along with possibilities of viable third country resettlement and effective local integration, ensuring refugee rights and pathways to naturalisation. The CRRF also puts significant emphasis on returns as part of durable solutions for refugees. 

In this perspective, NGOs wish to stress the importance of the principle of voluntariness. For many refugees the decision to return is often combined with a range of factors leading to concerns that repatriations might have been neither entirely voluntary, nor dignified. It is also important to ensure the sustainability of reintegration. Reports about, for example, Afghanistan and Somalia indicate that returns occurred over the past year in unfavorable conditions, thus questioning the volunariness and sustainability. 

Fifth, and finally, partnership is crucial. 

Mr. Chair, UNHCR fittingly concludes its note on international protection by emphasizing the importance of partnership in advancing protection – partnership with States, partnership with other organizations, and partnership with civil society. NGOs can play a complementary role in advancing protection. We have taken forward commitments made during the June 2016 UNHCR-NGO Annual Consultations focused on youth, the December 2016 High Commissioner’s Dialogue on Children on the Move, and Structured Dialogue partnership workshops in Tanzania (October 2016), San Salvador (November 2016) and Greece (December 2016). We have followed the process of UNHCR’s internal review of how it operationalizes protection responses to IDPs. We have mobilized in the run-up to the 19 September Summit, and are now working to advance the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework and eventual Global Compact on Refugees. This is the tenth anniversary of the Principles of Partnership, and these Principles could serve as the basis for moving forward with the CRRF’s “whole of society” approach, which we look forward to discussing further during agenda item 5. 

Carros e Noticias em http://automotivoonline.com.br/mercado-automotivo/27/02/2014/anfavea-pede-troca-de-ipva-por-imposto-vitalicio/

Anfavea pede troca de IPVA por imposto vitalício

Luiz Moan, da Anfavea: “O mercado de automóveis no Brasil é totalmente artificial, em função da carga tributária”.

  O executivo Luiz Moan, durante o debate realizado essa semana no Senado sobre o preço dos carros vendidos no Brasil, propôs a troca da cobrança do IPVA Imposto sobre a Propriedade de Veículos Automotores) por ICVA (Imposto sobre Circulação de Veículos Automotores).

Luiz Moan, presidente da Anfavea (Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores), afirmou que o exemplo vem de outros países e que o valor pago (alíquota) “seria o mesmo” para carros novos ou velhos, o que estimularia a renovação da frota — certamente considerando um mesmo modelo de anos de fabricação diferentes.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S PROGRAMME STANDING COMMITTEE

56th Meeting

5 - 7 March 2013

NGO Statement on Asia and the Pacific – Extended Version

Agenda Item 3 (a) iii

This statement has been drafted in consultation with, and is delivered on behalf of, a wide range of NGOs. It attempts to reflect the diversity of views within the NGO community.

Madame Chairperson,

NGOs continue to be deeply concerned by the continued lack of protection for refugees in most parts of the Asia Pacific region. This lack of protection is characterised by rights violations such as arbitrary arrest and detention, no right to work, and limited or no access to health services, education and vocational training opportunities. Refugees also face lengthy registration and refugee status adjudication procedures. NGOs reiterate the call on States to protect and not violate these rights, to seek alternatives to detention, and to provide refugees with legal aid, psychosocial support, cultural orientation, and community integration options.

Ratification of the Refugee Convention and Introduction of National Refugee Legislation

NGOs note with continuing concern that only 26 of the 61 countries located in the Asia and Pacific region are State parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol. NGOs call on governments to ratify these treaties and to ensure the protection of refugees and stateless persons.

Immigration Detention

Several governments in the Asia-Pacific region are to be commended for taking important steps towards exploring and implementing alternatives to detention. However, the increasing use of immigration detention remains a growing concern across the region for refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and stateless persons. A number of key, common concerns have been identified in many Asia-Pacific countries, including:

The growing use of arbitrary, penal and punitive detention in conditions that fail to meet minimum international standards;

Lengthy and prolonged periods in detention, with restrictions on or denial of access to refugee status or statelessness determination procedures and/or judicial review of detention;

Lack of access to legal assistance and representation as well as proper interpretation services also remain key issues;

Restrictions on or denial of access to places of detention;

Detention of vulnerable groups: children (including unaccompanied minors); pregnant women; those with physical and mental health conditions; the elderly; and refugees, asylum seekers and UNHCR registered individuals;

The impact of detention on these vulnerable groups, including insecurity, separation (of children and families), lack of freedom, respect and privacy, isolation, cultural insensitivity and deterioration of physical and mental health.

Civil society calls for governments in the Asia-Pacific region to initiate and strengthen initiatives for alternatives to prevent unnecessary and damaging detention. States must ensure that the right to liberty is ensured for those seeking international protection, and that immigration detention is only ever used as an absolute last resort. States must also ensure that children and other vulnerable groups are not subject to immigration detention.

Refugee Status Determination (RSD)

With regards to refugee status determination (RSD), NGOs are concerned about due process procedures across the region. UNHCR’s RSD adjudication in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong differs substantially, with long and opaque processing, having adverse effects on the lives of asylum seekers, and offering little or no protection. UNHCR falls short of meeting its own procedural guidelines on RSD especially on legal representation in Thailand and Malaysia. Such legal representation is an essential part of procedural fairness and is a critical element in ensuring that UNHCR is transparent and accountable. We urge UNHCR to set standards for States to follow, and do so by adhering to its own guidelines.

Statelessness

Stateless persons continue to be trapped in a legal limbo, often denied the most basic rights, including access to health care, education, housing, and jobs. It is dismaying to note that only five countries in the Asia Pacific region (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Philippines, and South Korea) are party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and just three (Australia, New Zealand, and Kiribati) are party to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Australia

Civil society expresses grave concern over Australia’s broadened negative measures, such as the denial of the right to work for new arrivals (which is in breach of articles 17,18 and 19 of the 1951 Refugee Convention), forced transfer of asylum seekers to Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and involuntary returns to Sri Lanka of people denied access to an asylum process or any form of independent legal advice. In addition, there are significant concerns about the prospect of more forced returns to Afghanistan to situations where the safety of those returned cannot be guaranteed. Australia's decision in August to increase resettlement conducted in cooperation with UNHCR by 6000 places is generous and laudable but, unfortunately, Australia's record on refugee protection is being significantly undermined by new policies being applied to asylum seekers and the continuation of its mandatory detention policy. The Australian government needs to ensure that deported minors and deportees, their children and families, are returned to safe and secure situations where the best interests of the children are a major consideration. Australia also needs to re-open the cases of those wrongfully deported.

Cambodia

Civil society expresses its concern over the low rates of recognition of refugees in Cambodia. The Cambodian government is yet to develop an open, transparent refugee determination procedure in line with international standards. Civil society is also concerned over the reduced UNHCR presence in the country, which could have detrimental effects on refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

China

Civil society continues to emphasize that China, long a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, still has no domestic refugee protection system implementing the treaty. Civil society, however, recognizes with hope that on 30 July 2012, China passed a new Exit-Entry Administration Law, which includes a provision in Article 46 that would recognize refugees and provide them with legal status and permission to remain. Civil society requests that international monitors be allowed access to validate the safety and protection of refouled asylum seekers.

Hong Kong

Civil society continues to express concern over the government of China’s refusal to extend the 1951 Refugee Convention to Hong Kong and its firm policy not to grant asylum, despite repeated recommendations made by international human rights treaty bodies in their periodic reviews. As a result, the UNHCR sub-office is forced to fill the gap in refugee status determinations.

Civil society commends Hong Kong for the passage of the Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 2012, which provides for a statutory framework for screening torture claims, in compliance with Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which it is a party. Nonetheless, civil society hopes that the government - under this new legislation that came into force on December 3, 2012 - will address many of the challenges under the previous 'enhanced screening mechanism'. These have included backlogs in cases, and concerns over procedural fairness and effectiveness.

Civil society is also concerned about the inadequacy of policies to address the basic socioeconomic needs of asylum seekers refugees and torture claimants in Hong Kong, particularly around the rights to food, housing, social security, health and education. The multiple deprivations they face are further compounded by a lack of access to livelihood and self-reliance opportunities. Even qualified torture claimants and refugees awaiting resettlement are legally barred from working, volunteering and receiving vocational training in Hong Kong, despite the fact that their cases often take months or even years to process.

Irrespective of which party takes responsibility for RSD and/or refugee protection and welfare, the government and UNHCR should work together to ensure that refugees have a fair RSD process and an opportunity for a normal life in which their human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.

India

The decision of the government of India to provide 'long term visas' to all refugees is a welcome step, but much more needs to be done for refugees to be given these 'visas'; and institutions need to be sensitized to ensure that refugees are able to benefit from this policy. India should ensure that refugees receive adequate protection under the law and undertake swift action to punish those found exploiting refugees and asylum seekers. India should ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to justice, health and education without discrimination. Civil society expresses concern over continued discrimination, intimidation, and sexual and gender-based violence faced by refugees and asylum seekers, particularly from Africa and Myanmar.

UNHCR needs to step up its efforts towards the protection of refugee communities in India, particularly the Rohingyas who face detention, arrests and incarceration for long periods of time and discrimination on the basis of religion and lack of legal status. UNHCR should provide reasoned decisions for rejecting applications for refugee status either at the appeal stage or at the time of re-opening. This is crucial for the protection of life and liberty of an individual, a constitutional and fundamental right recognized by democratic states. UNHCR in India should be given access to all refugee communities in the country.

Iran

Civil society welcomes the efforts by the government of Iran and UNHCR in providing protection and assistance to Afghans refugees for more than three decades. Innovative projects on health insurance and capacity building for Afghan refugees towards improving conditions in the country and sustainable repatriation are welcomed.

Civil society expresses concern on financial challenges Afghan refugees face due to economic mismanagement and international sanctions that have resulted in high inflation, declining living standards, a sharp decline in value of Iranian currency, and the removal of subsidies for basic goods. This has had a particularly harsh impact on the living conditions of refugees. Women and children are the hardest hit.

We call on the Iranian government to facilitate the work of humanitarian international NGOs and provide an enabling environment that allow new international NGOs to work in Iran in supporting refugees.

In addition, we urge the state to focus its policies on enhanced integration of Afghan refugees to decrease tensions with host communities. The tense economic situation has lead to increased xenophobia towards Afghans in the country.

Japan

Civil society once again wishes to recognize and applaud Japan for being the first country in Asia to establish a pilot resettlement project. We encourage Japan to make it a permanent part of its protection framework. Civil society expresses concern that no refugees were resettled during the third year of the pilot, and recommends expansion and flexibility of eligibility criteria, and improved integration programs. All eyes are on this project, as the first in Asia, and everyone involved wants to see it succeed. Civil society domestically, regionally, and internationally remains committed to working collaboratively with the Japanese government to support the project in its implementation.

Civil society remains concerned about the low recognition rate (0.7 per cent in 2011) and due process in refugee status determination in Japan, and recommends further development of a comprehensive refugee protection law and policy. Civil society also recognizes and applauds the initiation of regular tripartite dialogue in Japan involving the government and civil society (represented by the Forum for Refugees Japan and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations). We applaud the initiation of collaboratively implemented projects, including a pilot airport reception project and a working group on 'alternatives to detention.'

Malaysia

Civil society condemns the continued non-recognition of refugee rights by the Malaysian government, and the continued arrest and often-prolonged detention of refugees, including minors and vulnerable populations, in conditions that do not meet basic international standards.

We draw urgent attention to the increased vulnerability of, and violence against refugee girls and women, who are at particular risk of sexual violence and exploitation at the hands of both their employers and law enforcement personnel, and who often live in crowded conditions where sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a serious concern.

While we applaud the cooperation by Malaysia in the rescue of 40 asylum seekers by the vessel Nosco-Victory, we are concerned by the continued detention of this group, including children, and the lack of any discussion around long-term durable solutions for the Rohingya. We continue to be disappointed by the Malaysian government’s non-cooperation with civil society on protecting refugee rights.

We condemn in the strongest terms the refoulement to China of six Uighur asylum seekers who were in the process of having their claims for asylum processed by UNHCR. We call upon the Malaysian government to respect, in no uncertain terms, the international customary law principle of non-refoulement and to ensure that no future, forcible returns take place of asylum seekers and refugees to countries where they are at risk of persecution.

Myanmar

UNHCR should continue to improve protection efforts and the search for durable solutions for over 100,000 displaced Rohingya in the Rakhine State. UNHCR should play a leadership role with other humanitarian actors in seeking to reduce inter-communal tensions in Rakhine state and to build support to encourage the government of Myanmar to respect the rights of the Rohingya community and to take steps to positively resolve their rights to nationality.

New Zealand

Civil society is concerned about the proposed Immigration Amendment Bill. This bill will allow the mandatory detention of groups of arriving undocumented asylum seekers, and also includes the suspension of refugee status procedures; restrictions on family reunion; and a requirement to re-establish refugee status after a period of three years. The proposed changes will also affect the rights and treatment of children who form part of family groups arriving as part of a 'mass arrival group'. The bill is in conflict with New Zealand’s international obligations to refugees.

NGOs express deep concern over the recent announcement by the New Zealand government to take 150 refugees annually from Australia, potentially from the offshore detention centres of Nauru and Manus Island, and to also consider sending any future boat arrivals to these offshore processing detention centres. This decision will result in a reduction in the number of resettlement places available for referral by UNHCR at time when many more resettlement places are desperately needed. It is worrisome that organisations tasked with settling refugees in New Zealand have faced considerable budget cuts in recent times.

Pakistan

Civil society welcomes the decision of the government of Pakistan to extend the legal stay of Afghan refugees in Pakistan for six months up to 30 June 2013. Civil society is still deeply concerned about the future of Afghan refugees. Afghan refugees are uncertain about their status in Pakistan. Civil society calls on the government of Pakistan to support and facilitate the protection of Afghan refugees until the conditions in Afghanistan are deemed to be conducive for their return. In this regard the government of Pakistan should support UNHCR Pakistan.

Philippines

Civil society commends the continuing protection environment provided by the Philippine government to refugees. Civil society also commends the initiative to map stateless populations in the country, following the country’s ratification of the Statelessness Convention in 2011. While there is a relatively good protection environment, civil society encourages the Philippine government to consider strengthening refugee protection by starting the process for enacting a domestic refugee law. In addition, civil society also encourages the Philippine government to continue its support for the IDP Bill and see it through to its conclusion into a domestic IDP law. Lastly, civil society commends the Philippine government for the positive progress in the peace talks in Mindanao, and encourages the Philippine government to seize this opportunity to provide durable solutions to the situation of IDPs in Mindanao, many of whom remain without durable solution.

Singapore

Civil society condemns the Singaporean government for preventing the docking of the vessel Nosco Victory, which had rescued 40 people, including women and children, after the ship they were travelling in had sunk in the Bay of Bengal.

Sri Lanka

Civil society commends the progress made in resettling IDPs in particular demining programmes. Civil society is concerned that there still remain a large number of IDPs, contrary to government claims. NGOs express grave concern on the continued militarization of the country, which is the biggest impediment to the resettlement of IDPs. Not only does this impinge on the fundamental rights of the IDPs, it also creates insecurity and discontent among them. This in turn will inhibit national reconciliation in the future. We urge the government of Sri Lanka to accelerate the implementation of the recommendations relating to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) with regards to the resettlement of IDPs by returning them to their place of origin or by providing proper shelter to enable them to rehabilitate in the new settlement area. This should be done in collaboration with human rights and humanitarian organisations to ensure the protection of their rights.

Thailand

Civil society is deeply concerned about the future of the hundreds of Rohingya refugees who have been detained in Thailand. Civil society expresses its outrage at recent news of Thai authorities pushing away back into the sea boats with refugees on board. While civil society supports Thailand and the international community in seeking a regional solution to the Rohingya issue, civil society denounces the detention of Rohingya and other refugees and asylum seekers while waiting for durable solutions.

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Go follow them guys! You won't regret it 

Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA-Egypt) is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct an external evaluation of its strategic objectives and outcomes. Interested consultants are kindly requested to contact them for a copy of the Terms of Reference.  Application for the consultancy will consist of a covering letter, CV and technical and financial proposals on the basis of the TOR, which must be submitted by 25 January 2013 here. The Evaluation exercise is scheduled to start in early February 2013 for one month.

  The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Asia Pacific is seeking a legal officer to be be responsible for representing the clients primarily held at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok. Applications are to be sent here together with CV (including two references). Applications close on 4 February 2013. For more information on the position, click here.

  Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA-Egypt) is seeking a Psychosocial Team Leader, Cairo, Egypt.  Application Deadline: 10 February 2013.

  The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network is seeking applications for a four to six month internship starting in April 2013. A full job description can be viewed here. To apply, please submit CV and cover letter to Danielle Grigsby by 15 February 2013.

  Asylum Welcome is looking for a new director to manage and coordinate its activities. The closing date for applications is 17 February 2013. If you have any questions about the position or Asylum Welcome please get in touch with Heather Steele.

  The Rift Valley Institute invites applications for four vacancies in the United Kingdom and Kenya.

•                Operations Manager in the RVI Nairobi office

•                Programme Coordinator for the Nairobi Forum in the RVI Nairobi office

•                Assistant Programme Officer in the RVI Nairobi office

•                Director of Finance and Human Resources in the RVI London office

The deadline for applications is 28 February 2013.

  Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism (KISA) based in Cyprus would like to invite applications for two vacancies: Help Desk Advisor and Campaign Advocacy and Communications Officer for the implementation of the Racism and Discrimination Alert (RADIAlert) project. For further details and how to apply please contact here.

  The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is seeking an on-call Eritrean interpreter, for the JRS Legal Officer within the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center, Bangkok, Thailand.

  The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network is seeking applications for a Regional Independent Custody and Visiting Association (ICVA) Representative. Please click here for the job description, and visit ICVA for more details.