In 2021, UNHCR will continue its partnership with governmental authorities and national and international NGOs. At the central government level, the key counterparts will remain the Ministry of Migration and Displacement (MoMD) and the Permanent Committee of the Ministry of Interior (PC-MoI). Camp administration remains the responsibility of the regional government authorities but underwent significant changes in 2020 when the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) put camp management and administration under the direct supervision of the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC), an integral part of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), making JCC UNHCR’s only camp management partner for the KRI. UNHCR will also continue to collaborate with the Directorates of Health (DoH) in Erbil and Duhok, and the General Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women (DCVAW). For NGOs, UNHCR will select partners from the roster/pool approved by the Iraq Implementing Partnership Management Committee for the 2021-22 period.
To address the needs of IDPs in Iraq, UNHCR leads the Protection, Shelter/NFI (non-food items – also known as core relief items/CRIs), and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) clusters. UNHCR will continue to conduct COVID-sensitive household assessments utilizing the Assistance Information and Services Tracking System (ASSIST) for IDPs. Humanitarian actors will be granted access to data for use in referrals to track and coordinate assistance and create beneficiary lists.
UNHCR leads the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) process in Iraq and, as such, is also coordinating the efforts of all agencies participating in the response to support Syrian refugees. UNHCR and its partners will update the inter-agency preparedness plan for refugee returns to Syria.
UNHCR is part of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and coordinates closely with the UNCT to implement activities under the recovery and resilience programme (RRP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) covering the period of 2020-2024.
UNHCR will enhance its collaboration with development actors to ensure the systematic inclusion of persons of concern into national development plans and development-oriented programmes. In this vein, UNHCR will strengthen its partnership with MoLSA, and with the World Bank, UN-HABITAT, ILO and UNDP. UNHCR co-leads with the World Bank and WFP the Social Protection Working Group (PWG1) for the UNCT and works closely with the World Bank and the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on a broader social protection forum inclusive of Government and NGOs.
The country's humanitarian context has transitioned into a post-conflict landscape with an increased focus on identifying and removing obstacles to durable solutions. UNHCR is part of the inter-agency durable solutions task force. It is engaged in consultations on a durable solutions strategy document with the Government and other stakeholders to take the process forward. A Durable Solutions Technical Working Group (DSTWG) is being established to set up parameters for area-based coordination to increase the sustainability and quality of returns, develop pilot projects, and strengthen governmental coordination mechanisms at the governorate and local levels. It will also seek to ensure the sustainability of local integration and settlement outside of areas of origin.
UNHCR will seek to strengthen partnerships with civil society organizations, particularly to develop support for greater inclusion of refugees and stateless persons into national systems and services. UNHCR Iraq will continue to participate in the Middle East and North Africa civil society network in this regard, including with respect to greater engagement of academics and research institutes.