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Refugee Youth Call for Action on Education, Employment, and Leadership at Global Summit

The ILO, UNHCR and UNICEF organized a High-Level Dialogue and Reception on the margins of the Summit of the Future 2024 where young refugees advocated for stronger global commitment to inclusive and sustainable solutions for displaced youth.

10 October 2024

young man and a woman — Young refugee leaders at the event

New York (ILO News) — “The Pact for the Future presents an opportunity to invest in and empower young refugees through access to education, skills training, and jobs. Their leadership is critical in achieving the vision of the Global Compact on Refugees for greater self-reliance for refugees” stated Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner, UNHCR as he opened the High-Level Dialogue on "Young Refugees’ Participation, Leadership & Self-Reliance" organised on the margins of Summit of the Future on 23rd September 2024 in New York.

The High-Level Dialogue and Reception was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF, in collaboration with select Youth Compact members (UNFPA, Danish Refugee Council, War Child, Global Refugee Youth Network, Women’s Refugee Commission, Tertiary Refugee Student Network, and Save the Children) and the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative.

Explaining the importance of engaging young people within the PROSPECTS Programme, Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said, “PROSPECTS, as the name suggests, aims to give young refugees the tools they need to rebuild their lives, and have a better outlook in the country that hosts them.”

Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the event

The event offered refugee youth leaders a platform to share insights and advocate for the sustainable investment in refugee youth. Krista Belen Rivaz, a young refugee leader representing the Tertiary Refugee Student Network, shared, “Investing in education and skills training helped me grow and dream bigger, and it can do the same for others. We must also create platforms for refugee youth to share ideas and partner with refugee-led initiatives—because we, as leaders, know what our communities need to achieve long lasting change.”

Mr. Barthelemy Mwanza, a young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo resettled in the United States of America and Coordinator for Refugee Youth-Led Organizations (RYLOs) for the Global Refugee Youth Network (GRYN) echoed Rivaz and further highlighted, “The safe and systematic engagement of young refugees is the key. We must promote inclusive policies that ensure equitable access to fundamental rights and recognize the value of refugee contributions in shaping better policies."

Visa regulations restricted two of the young refugee leaders from travelling to attend this event. Their inability to travel for the event further highlighted a broader issue faced by many forcibly displaced people who, despite their resilience, continue to encounter significant barriers in accessing opportunities, even when these opportunities are aimed at inclusion and empowerment.

Laura Thompson, ILO — Laura Thompson, Assistant Director-General for External and Corporate Relations speaking at the panel discussion.

Victor Mafigi Turatsinze, Co-founder of UNLEASHED, a refugee youth-led organization was one of them. He then shared a video message from Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda. “I urge continued support for refugee youth-led organizations so we can scale up successful solutions that create decent jobs for our peers," he said in his speech.

Rose Mashimbo, another young refugee representative from Stand for Change and Unity, underlined, “It is important that the ideas and aspirations of refugee youth are incorporated in decisions and programming that impacts them which will then ensure meaningful youth participation.”

Through the Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation in the PROSPECTS Partnership initiative, the ILO has partnered with UNLEASHED and Stand for Change and Unity to implement the integrated UPSHIFT and Youth-to-Youth Fund in Uganda.

Daria Mierhut, UNICEF Youth on the Move Fellow, shared her personal experience of benefitting from programming targeting young refugees. "The skills I gained through the fellowship—from networking to communication and technical knowledge—have been invaluable. These are not just professional skills; they are life skills,” Mierhut appreciated.

people sitting at a meeting — The event was attended by over 200 participants including young host and refugee community leaders.

Encouraged by witnessing firsthand the impact created by young refugee leaders, Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations at UNICEF, said “Building skills and capacities is important, but real empowerment comes when we work directly with young people. When we engage adolescent and young refugees, trust them to identify challenges in their communities, and fund their efforts to implement solutions, we create lasting change.”

Solidifying the ILO’s dedication to promote decent jobs for youth in humanitarian and forced displacement contexts, Laura Thompson, Assistant Director-General for External and Corporate Relations announced the organization’s commitment to joining the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action. Through the Compact, the ILO will strengthen its collaboration with humanitarian and development partners in scaling up action for, with and by youth in forced displacement settings. In her speech, Thompson underlined, "Access to decent work is critical in helping refugee youth realize their true potential, rise above their circumstances, and become changemakers, entrepreneurs, and leaders".

In the spirit of collaboration and partnership with young people, the session ensured young people had the last word.

Laura Valencia, Communications & Operations at the Global Refugee Youth Network, concluded the event with a compelling Call to Action developed by forcibly displaced young people across several refugee youth led networks. It read as,

“Include our input to shape solutions; invest in higher education, skills development, and employment opportunities; address legal and practical barriers to economic inclusion and support pathways that enable displaced youth to transition from learning to dignified and decent work; and scale up youth-led initiatives by partnering and collaborating with refugee youth-led organizations.”

The event was attended by over 200 participants and was successful in highlighting how investing in young refugees’ participation and leadership strengthens their resilience, reduces vulnerabilities, and leads to sustainable outcomes.