An Independent Declaration on the Right to Participate
Driven by affected communities, co-led by the Kaldor Centre’s Dr Tristan Harley, a new independent declaration aims to ensure displaced people can influence decisions that shape their lives.
Current international frameworks recognize the importance of participation but often lack actionable steps for implementation. This creates a void in policy that hinders the sustainability of displacement solutions.
On 16 December 2025, on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva, the Kaldor Centre joins with partners to launch the Independent Declaration on the Right of Persons with Experience of Forced Displacement or Statelessness to Participate in Decisions That Affect Them.
This initiative seeks to address a critical gap in international law and policy regarding meaningful refugee participation by establishing an Independent Declaration. This Independent Declaration affirms the right of refugees and others facing forced displacement or statelessness to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives, thereby reinforcing refugee participation as both a legal and normative right.
Our goal is to provide clear, actionable guidance and framework for States, UN bodies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support and facilitate meaningful refugee participation. By doing so, we aim to contribute to a global displacement response that is accountable, transparent, sustainable, and grounded in the lived experiences of displaced individuals.
This Independent Declaration has been designed to complement and strengthen existing initiatives towards meaningful refugee participation, such as the Global Compact on Refugees, EXCOM Conclusions, and the Meaningful Refugee Participation Pledge.
Over the past year, we have undertaken a series of inclusive and participatory workshops, including monthly virtual sessions and one in-person convening, to co-develop a draft of the Independent Declaration. This collaborative process has centered transparency, equity, and co-creation, ensuring that the Declaration reflects a wide range of perspectives and expertise, particularly from individuals with lived experience of displacement or statelessness.
This Consultation Report outlines the principal revisions that have been made to the Independent Declaration on the Right of Persons with Experience of Forced Displacement or Statelessness to Participate in Decisions that Affect Them (‘the Declaration’) based on feedback provided on the Public Consultation Draft released on World Refugee Day 2025.
► Read the Independent Declaration with commentary.
► Read the Consultation Report.
► Find out about how you can endorse the Independent Declaration.
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The Kaldor Centre wishes to acknowledge the generous support of the Gerda Henkel Stiftung for its research project on advancing meaningful refugee participation.
Image credits: Ali Haider Sultani and Janbaz Salehi 2025