The Vigne des Nations’ 2022 vintage was dedicated to the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) at a ceremony on 31 October 2023. This is a recognition by the Canton of Geneva for the EiE Hub members’ tireless work for the education of children and young people in crisis.
The Canton selects a different organisation or entity each year to be honoured in this way.
Ms Nathalie Fontanet, State Councillor and Head of Geneva’s Department of Finance, Human Resources and External Affairs, spoke on behalf of the Canton.
“The Geneva authorities, which I represent, wish to honour the EiE Hub’s remarkable work on behalf of children and young people,” said Ms Fontanet. “Their efforts to increase access to education for those populations who represent our future, and yet remain among the world’s most vulnerable, is exemplary. It deserves to be recognised.”
The EiE Hub harnesses the expertise and capabilities of International Geneva’s unique community to inspire political and financial commitments to ensure the delivery and continuity of safe, quality education to crisis-affected and displaced children and youth.
An integral part of International Geneva’s DNA
Crises such as displacement, migration, climate change and protracted emergencies affect an ever-growing number of people – especially children and young people – all over the world. Geneva’s international community has long sought to stand up for these children and young people, a fact being emphasised in 2023 as this is the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, or Geneva Declaration, enacted in Geneva in 1923. It was the first text that accorded rights specifically to children. Today, the members of the EiE Hub show that this tradition remains as strong as ever.
“The EiE Hub has been operating as a global platform to support the education of children and young people in emergency contexts since 2021,” said Ms Fontanet. “It brings together 44 members, including ICRC, UNHCR, UNICEF, four States, two funds and numerous NGOs, who together are creating significant impact for millions of crisis-affected children and youth around the world.“
The ceremony was also attended by Ms Céline Zuber-Roy, President of Geneva’s Grand Council, Mr Gilbert Vonlanthen, Mayor of Bernex (where the vineyard is located), Ms Anna Ifkovits Horner, Chief of the Host Country Division of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organisations in Geneva, and Co-Chair of the EiE Hub’s Steering Group, and Ms Petra Heusser, Coordinator of the EiE Hub.
“This partnership contributes, through its very being, to the representation of our Canton’s values and role in the world. It perpetuates the humanitarian spirit that is characteristic of Switzerland and Geneva’s priorities on the international stage,” added Ms Fontanet.
“Education is a central concern for the international organisations, academic institutions and others working tirelessly to support children and young people living through crisis. With its unique capacity to facilitate dialogue and partnerships across sectors, Geneva is the ideal place to broker greater political and financial engagement for education in emergencies,” said Ms Ifkovits Horner.
The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies is a physical and virtual platform that aims to be a catalyst for joint action among its members, and to increase collaboration with other sectors to prioritise education in emergencies. Together they will work to create change internationally, increase country-level impact, and foster political, financial and operational commitments for EiE.
