Co-hosted by UNHCR and Switzerland, the 2023 Global Refugee Forum (GRF) took place between 13 and 15 December 2023. It was co-convened by six States: Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, Niger and Uganda.
The 2023 GRF was an important opportunity to build on the progress made by States and stakeholders towards the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and of pledges and initiatives announced since the first Forum in 2019.
The Forum – held every four years – facilitates the announcement of concrete pledges and contributions. It also considers opportunities, challenges, and ways in which burden- and responsibility-sharing in support of the objectives of the GCR can be enhanced.
The 2023 GRF and Education in Emergencies
The critical need of education during emergencies for refugees and displaced children and youth garnered significant attention during the forum. Numerous commitments were made, and there is a strong focus on taking actions to fulfill these pledges.
EiE Hub members’ pledge: “Working Together to Ensure the Education of Refugee, Displaced, and Crisis-Affected Children and Youth”
The EiE Hub members embraced a renewed commitment to the right of refugee, displaced and crisis-affected children and youth to enjoy continuous, safe and quality education. Expanding its work across the nexus and engaging new sectors, the EiE Hub was also joined by six more entities: Colombia, the United Kingdom, UNRWA, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Humanity and Inclusion (HI).
The new EiE Hub members’ pledge – its 50 members, including Member States, UN agencies, civil society and others – reflects the commitment to collaboratively step-up visibility, political and operational commitment, and funding for Education in Emergencies.
Multistakeholder Pledge on Education in Emergency Contexts: “Short-term action for long-term educational benefit: Promoting rapid access to learning opportunities for recently displaced refugee children and youth”
In the lead-up to the forum, the GRF Education Alliance Task Team on Emergency Contexts, led by the EiE Hub Secretariat and comprising various stakeholders including States, UN agencies, INGOs, networks, and refugees, produced an advocacy document on recommended pledges concerning education responses in sudden-onset emergencies. The Task Team members jointly elaborated a multistakeholder pledge on education in emergency contexts to amplify awareness on EiE and ensure prominent visibility for EiE at the GRF, leading to tangible actions benefitting children and youth from both refugee and host communities.
This multistakeholder pledge – endorsed by 22 entities – focuses on the commitment to minimise the time refugee children and youth spend out of learning and promote inclusion into national systems in the first phase after displacement (objectives set out in the GCR). Education Cannot Wait (ECW), as the submitting entity, is leading the reporting on the implementation of the pledge.
Invitation to endorse: The multistakeholder pledge is open for endorsement by entities interested in contributing to its implementation. In case of interest or questions, please contact us.
Education Campus on 12 December
The “Education Campus” on Tuesday 12 December 2023, organised by the GRF Education Alliance in Geneva, featured in-person thematic panel discussions.
An Education in Emergencies panel titled “Minimising the time refugee children and youth spend out of learning and promoting inclusion from the start” featured the announcement of the EiE Hub members’ pledge and the Task Team’s multistakeholder pledge on education in emergency contexts, among other things.