United Nations Refugee Agency 95th Standing Committee

Thank you, Chair.

New Zealand congratulates High Commissioner Barham Salih and his appointment. We look forward to working closely with the High Commissioner and his team, and acknowledge the leadership, commitment, and clear direction he has already demonstrated in his first months in office.

Our Asia Pacific region continues to face complex and rapidly evolving humanitarian pressures, with millions of displaced and stateless people confronting heightened protection risks amid diminishing support. Protracted crises and new emergencies are straining response capacities, particularly in Myanmar, where five years of conflict have displaced more than 3.6 million people and driven repeated crossborder movements. We are also deeply concerned that escalating conflict in Iran is generating spillover effects in Afghanistan and across the region, including disruptions to regional trade and supply routes, compounding existing crises. Severe funding shortfalls have forced cuts to lifesaving assistance and protection activities, widening the gap between rising needs and available support.

In this context, New Zealand underscores the urgency of sustained, flexible funding to UNHCR. We have consistently provided unearmarked, multiyear contributions to support UNHCR's operational agility and its ability to prioritise protection, emergency response, and solutions in underfunded settings, including in the Asia Pacific.

New Zealand recognises UNHCR's important contribution to the Humanitarian Reset and the UN80 Initiative, and we support decisive action to streamline humanitarian assistance. Simplifying coordination structures, reducing duplication between agencies, empowering local actors and strengthening systemwide enablers will help deliver faster, more efficient and more accountable support to people in need.

Chair, 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. New Zealand remains firmly committed to working with UNHCR, host countries, and the wider international community to advance durable solutions. Through our longstanding Refugee Quota Programme and complementary pathways, New Zealand will continue to support third-country solutions, including from the Asia Pacific region, where protection needs remain high and resettlement departures have fallen sharply due to operational constraints and reduced global quotas.

In closing, New Zealand extends its sincere appreciation to all UNHCR staff around the world for their dedicated service to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and others in need of protection. We remain deeply concerned by the increasing risks to the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, and we call on all parties to respect and uphold international humanitarian law.

Thank you.

Share:

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• with Weibo