CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background and purpose The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has evaluated UNDP support to the Syrian refugee crisis response and promoting an integrated resilience approach. Part of the IEO workplan approved by the Executive Board at its first regular session of 2018,1 the evaluation assessed the contribution of UNDP to the Syrian refugee crisis response, the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), at the national and regional levels.2 While the primary focus of the evaluation was the Syrian refugee crisis response, for a broader understanding of UNDP support to refugee response, the evaluation also assessed the UNDP positioning and approaches in its response to other refugee crises. The evaluation assessed the extent to which the humanitarian-development nexus and resilience-based development approaches have underpinned the Syrian refugee crisis response framework as well as other UNDP refugee responses and corporate frameworks. The evaluation will contribute to the consolidation of the Syrian refugee crisis response as well as the development of corporate programming and strategy for refugee response. The evaluation will strengthen the accountability of UNDP to global, regional and national programme partners and the Executive Board. The evaluation will be presented to the Executive Board at the first regular session of 2021.3 Refugee crises globally are not only increasing in scale but are protracted and have significant development consequences. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently more than 79.5 million people displaced worldwide—the highest number on record since statistics on refugees have been collected.4 Since 2010, at least 15 conflicts have significantly increased the number of refugees, with the Syrian Arab Republic (hereinafter Syria), Afghanistan and Somalia contributing half of the refugee population (this is excluding Palestinian refugees). Although not of the same scale as the Syrian crisis, other refugee crises originating in Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and Venezuela have slowed both the pace of development and efforts in addressing conflict drivers.5 In addition to the significant needs of the refugee populations, host countries are facing equally daunting development challenges of their own. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and subsequent intergovernmental agreements such as the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants,6 the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for
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Independent Evaluation Office workplan (2018-2021), Executive Board document DP/2018/4. Although initially envisaged, this evaluation could not be carried out jointly with UNHCR because of differing evaluation schedules. UNHCR completed its evaluation in 2018. 3 The evaluation will be carried out within the framework of UNDP Evaluation Policy (http://www.undp.org/eo/documents/Evaluation-Policy.pdf) and United Nations Evaluation Group norms and standards (http://www.uneval.org/papersandpubs/documentdetail.jsp?doc_id=22). 4 Figures at a Glance, UNHCR. 5 Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Greece in the case of the Syrian refugee crisis, Bangladesh in the case of Rohingya crisis, Niger, and neighbouring States in the case of Lake Chad Basin. 6 New York Declaration, see https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/71/1 2
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