Dear Colleagues,   

Greetings from the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS) Ethiopia Country Unit. We hope that you are keeping well. In this first bi-monthly update of 2022, you will find updates on ReDSS Ethiopia country unit activities and achievements in January and February. These include internal review and planning, research and analysis, policy dialogue, engagement with our members, donor engagements, research seminar in Gambella that is planned to be undertaken next month, and resources that might interest you. 

Donor Reporting: The four-year EU funding ReDSS has been receiving through UNHCR that focused on supporting the CRRF process is at its final year. As per the agreed requirement, ReDSS Ethiopia unit has prepared and submitted to UNHCR an annual report, both narrative and financial, on the project performance for 2021, and also its plan for 2022 for approval.  

ReDSS Internal Review and Planning Session: ReDSS undertook an internal review of its successes and challenges in the past years and prepared work plans for 2022, both at regional and country unit levels. It has also identified three focus areas for the year, which include,  

• Promotion of more people-centered durable solutions approaches; 

• Strengthening the coordination and coherence of durable solutions programs at both national and sub-national levels; and, 

• Working with public and private actors to develop a more sustainable resource base for durable solutions. 

However, the tools for working on the agenda will remain to be those ReDSS has developed expertise on over the past six years (i.e., commissioning and coordinating research and analysis; catalyzing innovation and lessons learning; capacity development of national and international actors; and convening key actors to help shape future programming and policy). 

Durable Solutions Analysis: As part of the durable solutions analysis in Somali Regional State (SRS), an inception report that included data collection tools was developed and finalized. Currently, the consulting team is collecting data for the study in Kebrebeyah, Awbare and Dollo-Ado woredas.     

Area-based Planning: The translation of the area-based planning tools into Somali language is in its final stage of completion and will be used for future trainings ReDSS will be conducting in Somali region.

ReDSS has participated and organized bilateral and multi-lateral dialogues with different stakeholders, both at regional and country unit levels. In all of these engagements, ReDSS has tried to reflect the perspective of its members. The key highlights of the dialogues ReDSS undertook are as follows,  

•  Donor Meeting on Durable Solutions: 
  ReDSS attended a donor meeting on the Ethiopia durable solutions agenda, which was convened by the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) on the 21st February 2022. The event was attended by donors including, FCDO, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, EU & ECHO, Luxemburg, Spain, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Japan and Canada). The purpose of the meeting was to garner donors’ interest on the Durable Solutions Initiative and associated Durable Solutions Fund, that was launched in 2019. 
  
  ReDSS made a presentation during the meeting, in which it emphasized the complexity of the current picture around durable solutions given the multiple, and overlapping displacements that have taken place in recent years (including the current drought), and also the difficulties of working with authorities at different levels given the complexity of the operational environment. Further to this, ReDSS also highlighted the challenges with regards to getting the right kinds of funding to deliver intertwined short and medium-term interventions.  
  
  In parallel to the meeting, ReDSS also held bi-lateral discussions with donors including SDC, FCDO, EU, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

•  Consultative Workshop Organized by EHRC  
  ReDSS attended a two-day workshop on the institutional framework of the protection of IDPs in Ethiopia organized by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission from the 24th-25th February 2022. Relevant government institutions (i.e., EDRMC, RRS and Ministry of Peace) made presentations during the workshop on the status of the changes.  

•  Consultations with RCO, IOM and UNHCR 
  ReDSS has continued its engagement with the RCO advisor, IOM and UNHCR on the durable solutions agenda, assuming its main role of co-lead of the Durable Solutions-Technical Advisory Group (DS-TAG). 

•  Co-lead of the Durable Solutions Technical Advisory Group (DS-TAG)  
  As a co-lead of the DS-TAG, ReDSS co-organized a discussion around return on the 18th February 2022. Along the DS-TAG framework and in line with the Ethiopian Humanitarian Country Team (EHCT) Protection Strategy, ReDSS will continue to support the adoption of clear position on forced returns and relocation. 

Annual Review and Planning Meeting: ReDSS held its annual review and planning meetings at a regional level on the 1st February 2022 and at the Ethiopia country unit level on 21st January 2022. The core group meeting at a regional level discussed the significant milestones during 2021 and also ReDSS’s priorities for 2022. The Ethiopia country unit level meeting was attended by representatives of six member organizations, and reviewed the 2021 achievements and discussed the challenges encountered during the year. Further to this, the country unit presented its plan for 2022 and valuable feedback was obtained during the discussion with members.  

Bilateral Meetings with Members: ReDSS has been holding bilateral meetings with members (i.e., Mercy Corps, Concern, ACTED, LWF, and DRC) since the start of the year. The meetings were intended to identify areas of collaboration and also to plan interventions together.  

CRRF Regional Coordination Meeting: ReDSS, in collaboration with SRS BoFED, RRS, and UNHCR- Jijiga sub-office, organized and facilitated a Somali Region CRRF coordination meeting on 15th February 2022. During the meeting RRS provided update on progress in the implementation of the nine pledges. Further to this, UNHCR, DRC, Mercy Corps and ReDSS presented their respective achievements in 2021 and priorities for 2022. The coordination meeting was attended by BoFED, RRS, Trade and Industry Bureau, BoLSA, UNHCR, Mercy Corps, DRC, DAI-SHARPE, IRC, DICAC, LWF, SEE, SRHB, AEC, and SREB.  

• Research Seminar in Gambella: ReDSS in collaboration with Gambella University is planning an evidence seminar titled “displacement-affected communities in Gambella and the role of research” to be held at Gambella city. The research seminar is scheduled for 9th March 2022 and will be focusing on the livelihood and engagement of the refugees - policy and programming. 
• Somali Region Durable Solutions Strategy Validation Workshop in Jigjiga will be held on 11th March, 2022. 
• The Program Support Specialist for ReDSS Ethiopia has left her post at the end of January 2022, and the recruitment of a replacement is being finalized.