Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat
A Conversation with David Miliband
- David Miller, CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), highlights his personal history as a descendant of Jewish refugees to frame the organization's humanitarian mission, now operating in 30 war-torn countries with 196 field sites.
- The IRC employs 1,000 staff in Syria, 130 in Libya, and manages refugee resettlement across 26 US cities, though operations face threats from the Trump administration.
- Approximately 65 million people are currently displaced globally, representing 1 in 110 people worldwide.
- 25 million are refugees who have crossed international borders.
- 40 million are internally displaced people (IDPs) who remain within their home countries, such as the 7.5 million IDPs in Syria.
- Demographic analysis reveals that 50% of the world's displaced population is under the age of 18.
- 60% of refugees live in urban settings rather than refugee camps, requiring economic integration strategies rather than camp-based aid.
- Displacement is increasingly long-term, with an average duration of 10 years and a median lifespan of 21 years for those displaced for more than five years.
- In Kenya's Dadaab camp, 100,000 of 300,000 residents were born in the camp.
- Miller proposes a four-part policy agenda to manage the crisis:
- Economic Integration: Allowing refugees to work in host countries like Uganda, which requires new economic support packages for fragile states like Jordan and Lebanon.
- Education Funding: Increasing the share of global humanitarian budgets allocated to education, currently a mere 2%, which Miller labels a "global scandal."
- Cash Transfers: Shifting aid from in-kind goods to cash payments, noting that $100 in cash circulates $213 in the local economy.
- Resettlement Capacity: Opposing reductions in Western resettlement quotas, noting US intake dropped to an estimated 15,000 (from a historical 90,000) and UK intake remains at 4,000–5,000.
- The IRC is competing for a $100 million MacArthur Prize, with the final decision pending in Chicago.
- If won, funds will be dedicated to alleviating toxic stress and brain trauma in children under 8 in the Middle East.
- The IRC is one of only four finalists selected from 1,900 applicants.
- Miller argues that refugee rights, established by the 1941 Atlantic Charter and subsequent UN declarations, are foundational to the Western international system; eroding these rights undermines global stability.
- Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband labels Brexit the "biggest act of national self-harm" in British history, attributing current government chaos to the inherent complexities of leaving the customs union.
- Miliband opposes the use of referendums for complex constitutional changes, quoting Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher regarding their association with "dictators and demagogues."
- He predicts a "hard Brexit" is inevitable due to Conservative Party politics, arguing that a "soft Brexit" (staying in the single market/customs union) is no longer on the table.
- Miliband rejects the concept of "citizens of nowhere," asserting that global interconnectedness does not negate national identity or roots.
- Miliband attributes the rise of populism and Brexit to policy failures rather than globalization itself, citing the lack of trade adjustment mechanisms and wage stagnation.
- He notes the US CEO-to-worker pay ratio has reached 274:1, a result of political choices rather than market forces.
- Miliband critiques the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the UN Migration Compact.
- He warns that US withdrawal from the TPP has created a geopolitical vacuum that China is now filling in the Asia-Pacific region.
- He observes a global trend of "building walls" (US, Europe, Israel) as a counter-irony to the 20th-century call to tear them down.
- Despite political instability in Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Italy, Miliband expresses optimism for continental Europe due to projected economic growth reaching 2% and a renewed Franco-German leadership dynamic.
- He suggests Brexit has removed existential fears for the EU, giving the bloc momentum similar to the post-Greek crisis period.
- Reflecting on his political career, Miliband identifies September 2010 as a pivotal failure point for the Labour Party.
- He attributes the party's decline to defining itself against its own past rather than addressing future challenges.
- He unequivocally labels the 2003 invasion of Iraq a strategic error, noting the war was won but the peace was lost, strengthening Iran and destabilizing the region.
- Miliband affirms support for the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine but warns against the "militarization of diplomacy."
- He advocates for a balance between diplomacy backed by force and accountability for war crimes, citing the bombing of eight IRC hospitals in Syria as an example of impunity.
- AI Weiwei's documentary Human Flow suggests mass displacement will define the 21st century, driven by social media, low transport costs, and globalization.
- Miller identifies four long-term drivers of the refugee crisis that will persist for decades:
- Weak and fragile states unable to reconcile internal divisions.
- The disintegration of the international political system, particularly Western withdrawal.
- Fundamental political and religious turmoil within Muslim-majority countries.
- Climate change acting as a "multiplier of conflict," though few will be legally recognized as climate refugees crossing borders.
- The IRC has grown from $430 million to $730 million in annual funding over four years, with private funding rising from 10% to 20% ($160–$170 million).
- Miller urges the audience to support refugees by advocating for their rights, employing them in host countries, and redirecting corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources toward practical outcomes.