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Core and contact groups
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UNHCR Core/Contact Groups
Core/Contact Groups are established through the agreement of resettlement States and UNHCR based on a joint assessment of the need for a coordinated, multi-annual approach to resettlement. There are currently six Core/Contact Groups chaired by resettlement countries, namely: the Bhutanese Core Group, the Afghan Situation, the Colombian Contact Group (not currently active), the Great Lakes Core Group, the Syria Core Group and the Eritreans Core Group.
Core/Contact Groups are very beneficial in advancing refugees' resettlement needs. In particular:
- Core/Contact Groups have facilitated and improved information sharing initiatives, enhanced dialogue among stakeholders, and increased predictability to the planning of resettlement activities in relation to the specific refugee situation.
- Core/Contact Groups have been instrumental in increasing the number of resettlement places offered and the number of countries involved.
- Core/Contact Groups have sustained the involvement of the international community in specific resettlement operations over a period of time. When meeting at the field level, Core/Contact Groups have brought together actors directly engaged in a specific refugee situation, fostering common understanding of operational challenges with host governments and local actors.
