The world is currently home to 22.5 million refugees, or individuals seeking safety across international borders; this number is the highest in the history of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Governments, aid agencies, and nonprofit organizations have long been engaged in addressing their immediate needs (e.g., food, water, shelter). In recent years, as the duration of protracted refugee situations lengthens and as the ‘immediate need’-focused funding of humanitarian actors remains constrained, there is a growing recognition that more long-term and sustainable solutions are both required and beneficial. Perspectives that highlight the need to empower refugees as agents of their own lives, integrated economically within host societies, are gaining momentum. In addition, the role of private sector actors is shifting, both in terms of its degree of involvement as well as a shift from traditional modes of giving to approaches that leverage private sector capabilities and business models.
Within this context, IFC, UNHCR and ETTG organized a half-day event to discuss the role that the private sector can play in providing solutions to empower refugees and their host communities in developing countries, including through innovative approaches towards refugee camps and cities.
The discussion was built on the expertise, research and lessons learned gathered by IFC, UNHCR and ETTG and the broader stakeholder community. As part of the event, IFC presented the findings of recent studies, including the study on the Kakuma camp in Kenya.
- Ms. Karin Finkelston, Vice President, Partnerships, Communications and Outreach, IFC
- Ms. Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director General, DG NEAR, European Commission
- Mr. Mohamed Tarawneh, Deputy Head of Jordan Mission to the EU
- Mr. Ewen Macleod, Special Adviser to the High Commissioner, UNHCR
- Mr. Geert Laporte, Deputy Director of The European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), member of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG)
- Mr. Imad Malhas, Managing Director and co-founder, IrisGuard
- Mr. Michel Botzung, Manager for Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations in Africa, IFC
To register please click here: https://goo.gl/forms/cs3BC4UleyGSDwWt1
Photo courtesy of Emad Zyuod via flickr
