[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”316px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-28px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”||4px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
UNHCR, <\/span><\/span>United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (<\/span><\/span>UNEP-FI<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span>the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) came together <\/span>on November 26 <\/span>during this year\u2019s UN Forum on Business and Human Rights for a joint side event focused on strengthening responsible finance practices. Hosted at UNHCR<\/span> premises<\/span>, the session brought financial institutions and sustainability practitioners into dialogue on two interconnected priorities: <\/span><\/span>meaningful stakeholder engagement<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>inclusive financial systems that serve forcibly displaced people<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”442.6px” custom_padding=”22px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n UNEP-FI and PRI opened the discussion by outlining<\/span> <\/span>how, consistent with the <\/span><\/span>UN <\/span>Guiding P<\/span>rinciples for Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)<\/span><\/span><\/a>, meaningful engagement with potentially affected groups and other relevant stakeholders should inform all aspects of an FI\u2019s approach to human rights \u2013 from the development of human rights policies, to undertaking human rights due diligence and ensuring access to remedy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Speakers from financial institutions and the <\/span>Tallgrass Institute<\/span><\/a>, an organization connecting Indigenous Peoples\u2019 perspectives, solutions, and leadership with investors and the private sector, outlined principles for stakeholder engagement and key entry points for financial institutions to consider with respect to engaging with stakeholders, including affected stakeholders, and with an emphasis on Indigenous Peoples.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/12\/Pic2-.jpg” title_text=”Pic2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n UNEP-FI and PRI opening the event.\u00a0Credit: Micol Pistelli, UNHCR.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”514.4px” custom_padding=”2px||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”295.8px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Building on these practical examples and perspectives, participants reflected on the opportunities and challenges, current gaps and key considerations to enable safe and meaningful engagement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n UNHCR expanded the discussion by reminding participants of a critical \u2014 yet often overlooked \u2014 stakeholder group: refugees and other forcibly displaced people. Drawing on field evidence, UNHCR emphasized that access to financial services is essential for rebuilding FDPs\u2019 lives, achieving self-reliance, and closing existing gaps, and underlined the important role that financial institutions can play in this effort.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n UNHCR underscored that financial needs shift across the different stages of displacement and stressed the importance of recognizing the diversity within FDPs through effective market segmentation. The agency also shared examples of good practices in the sector, highlighting portfolio quality data of refugees from <\/span>Kiva<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>UNHCR\u2013Sida and Grameen Cr\u00e9dit Agricole Foundation programme<\/span><\/a> in Uganda, which blends concessional and commercial capital to expand access to responsible financial services for refugees and host communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Today, UNEP-FI brings together more than 345 signatory banks under the Principles for Responsible Banking, and the PRI counts thousands of signatories worldwide \u2014 from asset managers to institutional investors. <\/span>Together, these signatories are taking action and making progress toward global and local sustainability goals, including advancing more inclusive approaches.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/12\/Pic-1-.jpg” title_text=”Pic 1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n UNHCR presenting its agenda on financial inclusion.\u00a0Credit: Joana Afonso, UNHCR<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The event affirmed the growing convergence between sustainability-focused <\/span>financial institutions <\/span>and humanitarian actors. In particular, meaningful engagement with rights-holders in conflict-affected and high-risk areas – whether indigenous people or people forced to flee – emerged as a critical issue that financial institutions must address. UNHCR and UNEP-FI will continue engaging with the financial community to foster more inclusive approaches.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n UNHCR and UNEP-FI look forward to building on this momentum and exploring opportunities for continued collaboration.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n By Micol Pistelli<\/span> (UNHCR)<\/span>, Magdalena Garcia <\/span>(UNEP-FI) <\/span>and Joana Pedro<\/span> (UNEP-FI).<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UNHCR, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) came together on November 26 during this year\u2019s UN Forum on Business and Human Rights for a joint side event focused on strengthening responsible finance practices. Hosted at UNHCR premises, the session brought financial institutions and sustainability practitioners into dialogue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":697,"featured_media":11467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/697"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11463"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11491,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11463\/revisions\/11491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How financial institutions can engage <\/span>meaningful<\/span>ly<\/span>: insights from UNEP-FI and PRI<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
UNHCR: Bringing refugees into the responsible finance conversation<\/h3>\n
Bridging humanitarian and sustainable finance worlds<\/h3>\n