Page 448 - AI for Good Innovate for Impact

AI for Good Innovate for Impact

2 Use Case Description

2�1 Description

Background

The number of individuals forcibly displaced from their homes—whether to another country or
within their own borders—continues to rise, driven by factors such as war, violence, persecution,
and climate change. Given the recent global events, it is unfortunately unlikely that this trend
will reverse in the near future. These populations often face prolonged displacement, spending
years or even decades away from their homes, with prospects for return growing increasingly
uncertain as time passes.

At the same time, the forcibly displaced are expected to gradually integrate into their host
countries or communities. However, legal frameworks and programs are not always adequately
equipped to support their potential. Gaps in national laws can hinder access to rights and
create challenges in implementing policies designed to assist them.

UNHCR’s core mandate is to protect the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
Through legal analysis, UNHCR and its partners can identify gaps or inconsistencies in legal
frameworks and advocate for legal and policy reforms that enhance protection and support
the rights of displaced and stateless populations.

Legal analysis is critical for understanding how national legal systems can better integrate
forcibly displaced and stateless persons into host countries. It allows for the identification
of legal barriers to protection and social and economic inclusion, such as restrictions on
employment, education, or access to healthcare. By analyzing the legal rights and protections
afforded to displaced and stateless persons, UNHCR can work with governments to develop
policies that promote protection and sustainable solutions, reducing the risks of marginalization
and social exclusion.

Legal analysis provides the evidence needed to support advocacy for legislative reforms at
national, regional and international levels. Gaps in the protection frameworks could include
lack of access to asylum, or limited access to documentation. By providing a comprehensive
analysis of these issues, UNHCR can push for legal reforms that align with international human
rights standards.

UNHCR developed the Rights Mapping and Analysis Platform (RiMAP), a publicly available
web-based initiative designed to centralize comprehensive legal and policy information related
to forcibly displaced and stateless populations. While RiMAP serves as a critical resource,
collecting and maintaining up-to-date information across multiple countries remains a
significant challenge due to limited human and financial resources.

Often, UNHCR faces challenges in collecting legal information, as national legal frameworks
and resources are often fragmented across various legal libraries and platforms but also
because staff simply lack the time, faced with multiple priorities, to comprehensively research
and analysis country level legal frameworks affecting core rights. Given the constraints on staff
time and resources, UNHCR is partnering with academia and NGOs to support the collection of
legal data. However, the scale of this effort is tremendous. Ensuring the long-term sustainability

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