Royal Netherlands Embassy Supports Transformative Project on Refugee Rights and Integration with Kenya's Host Communities
Royal Netherlands Embassy Supports Transformative Project on Refugee Rights and Integration with Kenya's Host Communities
By: Dominic Kabiru- Head of Public Affairs and Communication- KNCHR
At the launch of the project "Haki na Ushirikiano" (translated to Rights and Integration): Advancing Refugees and Host Communities Rights, His Excellency Ambassador Maarten Brouwer of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Kenya expressed his delight in joining the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) in this groundbreaking initiative.
Ambassador Brouwer began by acknowledging the Government of Kenya's remarkable generosity and commitment in hosting refugees and asylum seekers for over three decades. He lauded Kenya for welcoming refugees from the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region, emphasizing the shared sense of home that many refugees now experience within the country.
His Excellency Ambassador Maarten Brouwer of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Kenya( right) exchange pleasantries with KNCHR Chairperson Roseline Odede after he delivered the key note address during the launch of the project in Nairobi.(Photo: Courtesy- KNCHR Public Affairs & Communication Division)
Commending Kenya's leadership, Ambassador Brouwer highlighted the proposed policy shift from encampment to an integrated settlement approach - the SHIRIKA Plan. He also commended the recently adopted Refugees Act of 2021 for its boldness in setting a promising best practice and progressive vision for hosting refugees through a development-oriented approach. Both the SHIRIKA Plan and the Refugees Act establish a progressive policy and legal framework for socio-economic integration between refugees and host communities, creating an enabling environment for the enjoyment of rights and freedoms.
He said, the timing of the project launch therefore aligns strategically with Kenya's ambitions outlined in the SHIRIKA Plan and Refugees Act of 2021. Ambassador Brouwer emphasized the Netherlands' keen interest in this partnership, noting its alignment with the strategic ambitions within the Netherlands’ Multi-Annual Country Strategy (MACS). The partnership thus aims to support Kenya in bolstering internal and regional stability while fulfilling international commitments on human rights and refugee hosting.
Furthermore, the project's focus on advancing rights and fundamental freedoms for refugees and hosting communities resonates with the Netherlands' ambition of Leaving No One Behind. Addressing vulnerabilities, inequalities, and human rights issues linked to displacement, the partnership aims to contribute to reducing inequalities and marginalization, fostering stability in Kenya and the region.
Expressing pride in the joint partnership between KNCHR and RCK, Ambassador Brouwer highlighted their respective experiences in advancing human rights, people-centered justice, and policy advocacy for refugees and host communities in Kenya. Leveraging on the organizations' mandates, networks, and expertise, the partnership seeks to achieve the program's goals and outcomes.
Ambassador Brouwer underscored the Netherlands' commitment to advancing the localization agenda by supporting two strong national organizations within Kenya, KNCHR and RCK. He emphasized the partnership's goal of advancing access to justice, a people-centered justice approach, and rights for refugees and host communities.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Brouwer called for close engagement and complementary partnerships among various stakeholders, including Kenya’s line Ministries dealing with refugees’ affairs, UN agencies, NGOs, donor partners, and the media. He stressed the importance of a multi-stakeholder and whole-of-society approach in advancing the rights and fundamental freedoms of refugees and host communities during the project's three-year implementation period. As the launch concluded, the transformative partnership embarked on a journey that aims to redefine the landscape of refugee rights advocacy in Kenya.