| Abstract: | This article reviews the evolution of the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa (ICARA II), which advanced discussions on the connection between refugees and the development process and provided a forum to address refugee-related development burdens in Africa. A consensus now exists regarding how to address these burdens, but several challenges complicate realization of the ICARA II agenda, including: 1) the need for greater coordination between development and refugee agencies in the UN system and governments, 2) the need for provision of adequate resources by donors, 3) the weakness of host country capacity to absorb and manage assistance in the context of overall development planning, and 4) the poor visibility of refugee-related development needs as compared to emergency ones (author's). |
