The 2023 Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) will take place from 19 to 23 June 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, during ECOSOC’s 2023 session. It provides a key opportunity for Member States, the United Nations system, development actors, the private sector and other humanitarian partners to discuss current and emerging humanitarian challenges and priority themes and share experiences and lessons learned.
SIDE EVENT: The Life-Saving Power of Education – Learning, mental health and the wellbeing of crisis-affected and displaced children and youth
On Monday, 19 June, 11:00-12:30 (Geneva time), the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies and UNICEF will co-sponsor, with the Permanent Missions of Canada, Colombia, Niger and Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva, a side event on “The life-saving power of education – Learning, mental health and the wellbeing of crisis-affected and displaced children and youth”, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, in Conference Room XXIII.
This is one of the side events to be convened on the margins of the 2023 ECOSOC HAS, which builds on this year’s theme: “Strengthening humanitarian assistance at a time of unprecedented global humanitarian needs: driving transformation and solutions to address the urgent challenges of rising food insecurity and the risk of famine, protection risks and climate change.”
Investing in education can make a lasting difference in the health, empowerment and employment opportunities of the world´s most vulnerable children and youth, especially those caught in emergencies or experiencing forced displacement.
This session highlights the role of education as a vehicle to access better food security, protection, mental and physical health, and other life-saving services. It also discusses how mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions in education environments improve mental health and learning outcomes, with enormous potential to improve the life trajectories of children and youth living in crisis settings.
Background
The HAS will be chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York, in his capacity as the ECOSOC Vice-President for the HAS. On the basis of the ECOSOC decision agreed on 5 April, the theme for this year’s HAS is “Strengthening humanitarian assistance at a time of unprecedented global humanitarian needs: driving transformation and solutions to address the urgent challenges of rising food insecurity and the risk of famine, protection risks and climate change” (E/2023/L.11).
Four high-level panel discussions will be held during the HAS under the following themes:
- “Addressing the unprecedented global challenge of food insecurity and the risk of famine: scaling up prevention, response and resilience”;
- “Addressing protection risks, needs and challenges in humanitarian emergencies, particularly the disproportionate impact on women and children”;
- “Preparing for the future: reinforcing and expanding partnerships at the global, regional, national and local levels”;
- “Strengthening humanitarian assistance in the face of climate change: humanitarian implications, lessons and recommendations for future action”
In addition to high-level panel discussions, the organization of the HAS will include opening and closing sessions, including a general discussion and action on the annual ECOSOC humanitarian resolution on Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. A limited number of side events will be held on the margins of the HAS from 19 to 23 June.