The IGAD Kampala Declaration on jobs, livelihoods, and self-reliance: from declaration to reality

The Kampala Declaration on Jobs, Livelihoods, and Self-Reliance for Refugees, Returnees, and Host Communities, signed in March 2019 by IGAD member states, contains commitments which are an important part of realizing the objectives of the Global Compact for Refugees in the IGAD region. The Declaration holds real potential for realizing Compact objectives globally and builds on the 2017 Nairobi Declaration on Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees. Over past years, dramatic changes to contemporary global policy relating to refugees situates refugees within receiving communities and receiving states and promotes a ‘whole of society’ approach. The Kampala Declaration forms part of this change and, as such, the realization of Declaration commitments is crucial. With the upcoming Global Refugee Forum in December 2019 providing an opportunity to take stock of progress, the article emphasizes the crucial importance of planned and active participation, inclusion and collaboration of all parties as being fundamental in realizing in practice refugees’ right to work and access to economic opportunities. Attention is drawn to ‘missed opportunities’ within elements of the Kampala meeting and pre-meeting process which resulted in the impairment of potential for success and effective dialog. Further attention is drawn to critical areas where mindfulness in future meetings/dialog can be beneficial in order to effectively catalyze future change. Because the Kampala Declaration commitments form a central role in realizing Global Compact objectives, the article argues for high level meetings and fora to prioritize an approach to discussions which creates enabling contexts of formal but inclusive dialog. The article calls for better planning in this respect and puts forward suggestions for how dialog might become more productive. The article sets the context and aims of the Kampala meeting, moving forward to highlight areas needed to effectively catalyze change and then looks at meeting planning and participation,. Some brief examples are presented, continuing on to suggest ways in which changes in approach can transform reality. The article concludes, importantly, that the Kampala Declaration demonstrates that the commitment and language of inclusion exist. What remains is for truly collective action to ensure the Declaration achieves its transformative potential.