Human mobility, natural disasters and climate change in the Pacific: Outcome report

This report summarizes the outcomes and technical discussions of the first Nansen Initiative Regional Consultation that took place from 21–24 May 2013 on Rarotonga, Cook Islands: “Human Mobility, Natural Disasters and Climate Change in the Pacific”.

The overall objective of the Pacific Consultation was to identify specific challenges facing the Pacific region related to human mobility and natural disasters, and to develop concrete, practical, policy and programmatic outcomes in response to these challenges.

Conclusions reached during the Consultation include:

• At the community level: to strengthen the resilience of communities through risk assessments, disaster preparedness measures,disaster risk reduction measures, and development interventions.
• At the national level: to integrate voluntary migration, forced displacement, and planned relocation within national laws and policies, such as National Adaptation Plans, Joint National Action Plans, and National Disaster Management Plans.
• At the regional level: to encourage regional agencies and national governments to continue to identify gaps in knowledge and collect relevant data.
• At the international level: to encourage states and relevant international organizations to develop appropriate normative frameworks to address the protection needs of displaced or relocated populations.