Canada and the Refugee Working Group Background Document

Overview

The Refugee Working Group (RWG) is a unique forum of regional and international participants formed as a result of the 1991 Madrid process, and of a subsequent meeting in Moscow in 1992. Chaired by Canada, it is one of the five working forming the multilateral track of the Middle East peace Process (MEPP); the other groups are Water Resources, Regional Economic Development, the Environment, and Arms Control and Regional Security.

The RWG is mad up of 45 participants, including:

• The ‘core’ parties: Israel, the Palestinian Authority. Jordan, and Egypt (Syria and Lebanon have so far not joined the multilateral track of the MEPP) ;
• The ‘co-sponsors’: the United States and Russia;
• The ‘co-organizers’: the European Union and Japan
• Regional parties, including Arab states from Mauritania to the Gulf
• ‘extra-regional parties’ from Asia, the Pacific and Europe.

The RWG coordinates its activities by meeting in plenary sessions, which consist of all 45 delegations. Since its beginning in 1992, the RWG has held eight plenary meetings, the most recent in Geneva, in 1995. The next RWG plenary will be in spring 2000, in Ottawa.

Since the Geneva Plenary, the RWG has conducted five coordination meetings to review the RWG’s on-going work and set priorities for the future. The last coordination meeting was held in Sharmel-Sheikh, Egypt, in January 1999. It has also held numerous intersectional meetings, which bring together Arab and Israeli representative. Their extra-regional counterparts, and international experts for more detailed consideration of specific aspects of the refugee issue. Since the last plenary, 13 intersessional meetings have been heid, on topics such as databases, vocational training, public health and family reunication.

Role of the RWG

The RWG’s role is to raise international awareness of the Palestinian refugee issue and, in doing so, to improve the lives of Palestinian refugees, without prejudice to their rights and future status. The RWG is also committed to helping the regional find and implement a just and comprehensive solution to the refugee issue. This objective has taken on increased importance in light of the final status negotiations now under way.

To date the RWG has complemented bilateral negotiations in addressing the refuges issue by:

1. Creating a Forum for Dialogue

Through extensive consultation in the region and regular intersessional meetings between the core parties on various refugee issues, outside of the bilateral framework. This process serves to build confidence between the parties, allowing them to clarify positions and to develop and test options.

Despite Lebanon’s and Syria’s non-participation in the multilaterals, Canada has conducted on going consultations with them on refugee issues, as well as with Palestinian refugee living in initiatives such as academic research and conferences on the refugee issue.

2. Improving the Refugees’ Lives

With Canada as Gavel, and six shepherds (or guides) lending international efforts in the areas of child welfare (Sweden), databases (Norway), family reunification (France), human resources development, job creation and vocational training (the United States), public health (Italy), and social and economic development (the European Union), the RWG strives to improve the living conditions of refugees. In cooperation with the regional parties, the shepherds are responsible for defining needs developing responses, and mobilizing required resources.

Since 1993, over $125 million has been raised as a result of the RWG’s appeals and activities to assist the refugees. The RWG has also provided financial support for a large number of projects, such as the construction of schools, health and community centres; the development of wastewater treatment plants; and the building renovation infrastructures.

3. Conducting Missions to Refugee Camps

In order to maintain an on going dialoge with Palestinian refugees, and better assess their needs, the RWG has undertaken missions to refugee camps in Jordan (1994, 1996, 1999) and the West Bank and Gaza Strip (1998). Similar “International missions”, led by Canada, have also been conducted in refugee camps in Labanon (1997, 1998). In an effort to ensure completeness, Canada also conducted a “national” mission to refugee camps in Syria (1998). These missions have helped identify the needs and concerns of the refugees.

Each mission has yielded a report outlining specific concerns and recommendations directed at the host countries and the international community. This has resulted in tangible improvements through:

• Increased international financial support for UNRWA;
• Enhanced dialogue between the regional parties and the refugees during the ups and downs of the bilateral peace process;
• Enhanced awareness by donor countries of the circumstances and priorities of the refugees and the host countries;
• Development of a scholarship programme to further refugees’ higher education; and
• The development of databases documenting the refugee population. Led by Norway

4. Easing and Expanding Family Reunification

Another important RWG initiative has been the reunification of family members separated as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Its efforts, including two intersessional consultations, have led to an increase in the quote of individuals admitted to the West Bank and Gaza strip to be reunited with their family. As well, France, the shepherd, has worked with regional parties to gather information on existing practices, to identify areas where improvement is needed, and to facilitate to bridge the difference.

Other Canadian Initiatives

As part of its commitment to easing the problems of refugees, Canada, with international parties, has also developed a number of initiatives of the RWG framework. These include:

• The scholarship Fund for Palestinian Refugee Women in Lebanon, developed by Canada to provide university scholarship for Palestinians refugee women in Lebanon.
• Cooperation with Italy to assist UNRWA in improving aspects of the hospitalalization programme in Lebanon, and easing access for Palestinian refugees.
• Canada Camp, where Kuwait and Canada have supplemented the efforts of Egypt and Israel to support the relocation of nearly 500 families from ’Canada Camp’ in the Egyptian Sinai to Gaza. The relocations are expected to be completed by October 2000.

Committed to the Peace Process

With the resumption of negotiations towards a final status agreement, the RWG will review whether and how it ca assist the parties in devising and implementing a just and comprehensive solution to the refugee issue, and support the efforts of all those who are engaged in dealing with this fundamental and human problem.

For further Information:

Please visit

• The Department of Foreign Affairs Middle East Peace Process web site at:
    http:// www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/peaceprocess/menu-e.asp

or contact

• Office of Special coordinator
  Middle East Peace Process (GXD)
  Department of Forign Affairs and International Trade
  125 Sussex Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario KIA 0G2

           e-mail: gxd@dfait-maeci.gc.ca