MULTILATERAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE REFUGEE ISSUE: DYNAMICS IN AND AROUND TURKEY
WORLD HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT SIDE EVENT PANEL
Date and Time: Monday, May 23, 2016 | 13:00-14:30
Location: Lutfi Kidar Convention & Exhibition Centre (LKCC)
Columbia Global Centers | Istanbul, together with Helsinki Citizens Assembly and the Marmara Municipalities Union organized a side-event in May 23, at the First World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul on May 23 and 24, 2016. The panel “Multilateral Perspectives on the Refugee Issue: Dynamics in and around Turkey” brought distinguished speakers together to hear their perspectives on the refugee issue which has been at the top agenda for many years now.
The panel first tried to elaborate on the current humanitarian crisis and refugee flux in light of the recent Turkey-EU agreement, and its current and future implications, assessing it from a global perspective, linking this to up-to-date developments at the regional and country levels. The international aspect was then linked to the works of UNHCR in the region and in Turkey. This was followed by offering insights from the local level by revealing the challenges both faced by the refugees themselves and the municipalities in the relationship with the refugees living in urban areas. Finally, yet importantly, the panel shed light on civil society responses to the humanitarian crisis with a great emphasis on the distinction between state security and human security. The panel examined the unique role that civil society organizations play in addressing needs of communities with a human security approach, including policies for social-economic and cultural integration, inclusion, and cohesion.
Speakers:
Alexander Aleinikoff, the former United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees and Visiting Scholar at Columbia Law School
Elif Selen Ay, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Istanbul
Sinan Gökçen, Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Emel Kurma, Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Burcuhan Şener, International Cooperation Expert - Marmara Municipalities Union
Columbia Global Centers | Istanbul Briefing Note on the Side-Event “Multilateral Perspectives on the Refugee Issue: Dynamics in and around Turkey”
