"As we observed World Refugee Day and honour the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, it is imperative to recognise the enduring challenges that continue to impact the treatment of forcibly displaced persons. Within this context, it is particularly important to address the role of countries in the Global North, as the shade of racism, supremacism, patriarchy and the historical legacy of colonial endeavours still heavily influences the approach toward situations of forcibly displaced persons," the statement said.
Independent UN experts marked 2022 as the largest ever increase in the number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide. Over 108 million people around the world were uprooted, more than half of them women and girls, according to the statement.
"We urgently call upon the international community to adopt a rights-based approach that addresses the root causes of violence and prioritises the individual and collective right of return for refugees and internally displaced persons, over political considerations. As the largest and most protracted displaced population since World War II, the Palestinian experience should serve as a poignant reminder to the international community of the suffering and vulnerability endured by refugees and internally displaced persons, urging immediate action to recognise and uphold their rights," the statement read.
The Special Rapporteurs are independent experts within the UN's human rights' system, but they are not employees.