Advancing meaningful refugee participation

The challenge

It is an unfortunate reality that many refugees today are not consulted or included in key decision-making processes that affect them. Whether it is in relation to the development of laws and policies, the transfer of refugees from one jurisdiction to another, or the implementation of programs and services, refugees are often excluded from decisions that materially impact their human rights.��

This exclusion has real-world consequences. It undermines refugees’ agency and dignity and compromises democratic notions of good governance. It also can result in inefficient and inappropriate protection responses.

Working collaboratively with refugee leaders and other stakeholders, this project aims to build a much-needed evidence base to inform the design and development of effective law and policy mechanisms for meaningful refugee participation in decision-making processes – both in Australia and internationally.��

We are grateful to the Gerda Henkel Stiftung and Act for Peace for their support for this project.��

Project highlights

On World Refugee Day 2025, a global group of refugee experts and allies released for consultation a landmark document designed to ensure that refugee participation goes beyond gestures.��The draft��Independent Declaration on the Right of Refugees and Others Experiencing Displacement or Statelessness to Participate in Decisions that Affect Them��aims to address a critical gap in international law and policy.

In 2023, we co-led the development of new multi-stakeholder Guidelines on Co-produced Research with Refugees and Other People with Lived Experience of Displacement. These Guidelines build on extensive consultation and are a key resource for anyone with an interest in co-produced research, such as universities, governments, donors, ethics review committees, NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and community groups that may be involved in or impacted by the research. These guidelines are also available in Arabic, French and Spanish.��

We have also launched a first-of-its-kind Displaced Scholars Mentoring Program to support early-career scholars who have experienced displacement and are researching in the field of refugee and forced migration studies to pursue their academic and professional goals. Forty-five scholars from around the world received mentoring as part of this program in 2023.��

Watch: Guidelines for Co-producing Research with Refugees and Other People with Lived Experience of Displacement. Najeeba Wazefadost and Tristan Harley step through key considerations for any stakeholders involved.��

Our work ��

Our work seeks to inform and impact the design and development of law and policy mechanisms for meaningful refugee participation in decision-making processes. In particular, we are researching:

the scope of current legal duties on states and international organisations to consult with or include refugees in decisions that directly affect them

how and to what extent refugees have been able to participate in different decision-making areas in practice to date, and
potential reform options that could improve the legal and policy framework relating to refugee participation in both the short and long term.��

Featured work

International law and policy reform

This research project seeks to inform the design and development of effective international law and policy mechanisms for ensuring meaningful refugee participation in decision-making processes. The project examines the scope of current legal duties on states and international organisations to consult with or include refugees in decisions that directly affect them, and explores various reform options, developed in consultation with refugees and other stakeholders.

On World Refugee Day 2025, we were part of a global group of refugee experts and allies that released for consultation a landmark document designed to ensure that refugee participation goes beyond gestures.

The draft��Independent Declaration on the Right of Refugees and Others Experiencing Displacement or Statelessness to Participate in Decisions that Affect Them��aims to address a critical gap in international law and policy.

It was developed over 18 months by an international working group of refugee experts, academics, humanitarians and international lawyers committed to advancing meaningful refugee participation in decisions that affect their futures.

During the public consultation process, the working group will be facilitating online discussions (the first is scheduled for��) and accepting feedback by��email��or��until 20 August 2025.

The process is designed to prioritise transparency, inclusivity and co-creation, to ensure the��Independent Declaration��reflects diverse perspectives and expertise, especially from people with lived experiences.

The aim is to release the final version of the��Independent Declaration��and begin a formal endorsement process later in 2025.

The group hopes this initiative will grow in support and result in much-needed change to the way that decision-making systems work in the lives of refugees and others experiencing forced displacement or statelessness.

► Read the��Draft Declaration, or get the full context in the��Draft Independent Declaration with commentary.

►��one of the global virtual consultations.��

► Send your thoughts or questions��by��email��or via this��until 20 August.

Guidelines for co-produced research

When people with lived experience of displacement are involved in co-producing research – not merely as participants, but as partners – the benefits can be significant, and shared. Co-produced research can make a valuable contribution to our understanding of forced migration and help to drive real-world change. Yet practical challenges often arise when undertaking this kind of work, and for many, it can be difficult to know where to begin and how to best proceed.��

Our Guidelines for Co-produced Research with Refugees and Other People with Lived Experience of Displacement can assist anyone interested in undertaking, supporting or learning more about inclusive, co-produced research. These Guidelines have been developed through an extensive collaborative process involving refugee leaders, academics, practitioners and policymakers from around the world.

The full Guidelines are also available in��Arabic,��French��and��Spanish.

Video explainer: You can also watch��, where Najeeba Wazefadost and Tristan Harley step through key considerations for any stakeholders involved.��

.

Read the guidelines in Arabic

Read the guidelines in French

Read the guidelines in Spanish

Mapping refugee-led initiatives in Asia Pacific

This first-of-its-kind study seeks to better understand the ways in which refugee-led initiatives contribute to refugee protection and solutions in the Asia Pacific region. The research aims to answer four central questions:

How do refugee-led initiatives support their communities and others?
How to refugee-led initiatives engage with and represent constituents/members?

How do refugee-led initiatives engage with other stakeholders?
What barriers do refugee-led initiatives face when undertaking this work?

��

This project is being led by Tristan Harley, Senior Research Associate at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee law and Najeeba Wazefadost, the founding Director of the Asia Pacific Network of Refugees. The findings of this research project will be published in mid-2023.