Global conflicts and human displacement: 21st Century challenges delivered by UN High Commissioner for Refugess António Guterres

Annual Lecture LI

This Annual Lecture, titled "Global conflicts and human displacement: 21st Century challenges," was delivered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The speech highlighted the dangerous increase and staggering escalation of forced displacement globally, with 59.5 million people displaced by conflict at the end of 2014, an increase of 60% over 10 years. This reflects a world where the capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts is practically non-existent, partly due to the unclear power relations in the current "chaotic world," which allows impunity and unpredictability to prosper . The nature of conflict has also evolved, with more unpredictable and complex multi-party situations, making it harder for humanitarian agencies to gain access. Furthermore, the human rights agenda is losing ground to the national security and national sovereignty agendas, making humanitarian work more difficult and the protection of civilians neglected. The crises are escalating, and the current humanitarian system, while substantially effective, is financially broke, struggling to meet basic needs. Mr Guterres suggested thinking "out of the box," including the need to combine humanitarian aid and development cooperation from the beginning of a crisis, especially to support middle-income countries bearing the burden of large refugee populations. Additionally, there's a need to maintain the independence of the humanitarian space while strategically linking humanitarian, development, and security objectives. Addressing Europe's rising migration and refugee flows, Mr Guterres urged a sense of proportion, comprehensive European approach based on responsibility and solidarity, and the creation of more legal avenues for those in need of protection.

Commissioner Guterres spoke without written notes.