Full programme for Tuesday 16 December

Moderator:

• Ms. Sara Kuwatly, Representative, Refugee Advisory Group to the CRCP and Program Officer, World University Service of Canada

Panelists:

• Mr. Jean-Christophe Dumont, Head of the International Migration Division, Direction for Employment, Labour, and Social Affairs, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

• Mr. Edward Fu, Head of Government Affairs, Duolingo

• Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner (Protection), UNHCR

• Mr. Patrick Mura, Head of the Migration and Asylum Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Italy

• Ms. Jennifer Wilson, Director for Third Country Solutions, RefugePoint

The event will explore methods to better enable pathway programs, examine larger impact models (e.g. train to hire and inclusion of refugees in bilateral labour migration agreements) and facilitate refugees’ autonomous access to migration frameworks. It will discuss the policy shifts and support, including the work linked to multi-stakeholder pledges, that are needed to improve systems and foster migration opportunities.

• Ms Safak Pavey, Senior Policy Officer, UNHCR
• Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
• Mr. Jamal Haddad, Council Member, Ramallah Municipality, State of Palestine
• Mr. Abdoulaye Garba Maïga, President de l’Association des Régions du Mali
• Ms. Maggie Powers, Director of Advocacy and Policy, Mayors Migration Council
• Mr. Temístocles Villanueva Ramos, Coordinator General for Human Mobility, Mexico City, Mexico
• Mr. Oscar Igaida, Chief Officer, Department for Youth, Talent and Sports, Nairobi City County, Kenya

• Mr. Jean Paul B. Kasik, Executive Director of RELON-Kenya

  ---

  Hosted by the Local Coalition of Migrants and Refugees, comprising city networks and UN agencies, the session will showcase how cities are embedding refugee support into local systems and driving economic inclusion through jobs, entrepreneurship, and green transition initiatives. It will also launch a new phase of the Call to Local Action campaign, spotlighting fresh commitments and offering concrete ideas to strengthen partnerships and mobilize resources for refugee-hosting cities amid shrinking humanitarian access and funding.

Moderator and opening remarks:

• Mr. Raouf Maou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations

Keynote address:

• Ms. Andrea Koulaimah, Director - Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, South, East and South-East Asia and Pacific, EU ECHO

Panelists:

• Ms. Judith Maas - Head of Migration and Displacement Division - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

• H.E. Mr. Gustavo GALLÓN, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations Office in Geneva

• Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon Konde, UNHCR Regional Bureau Director for West and Central Africa

• H.E. Amb. Moussa Ali Meigague, Director, Health and Social Development, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

• Dr. Benjamin Farouk Abdallah, Director, Rediscovering Humanity and Health (refugee expert to speak on IGAD SP)

• Ms. Laura Trejo, Director, Asmovilidad A.C.

Moderator:

• Ms. Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner, UNHCR

Panelists:

• Mr. Anton Aschwanden, Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy for International Organizations in Europe, Switzerland and Austria, Google

• Ms. Patrizia Danzi, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Switzerland

• Ms. Hege Halaand, Director General, Government of Norway

• Mr. Ally Mulumba Ntumba, Director, Patchwork Indy, and Delegate, Refugee Congress USA

• Mr. Sifiso Ngobese, Director of School Safety, Department of Basic Education, Government of South Africa

• Ms. Pavitra Ramanujam, Social and Environment Justice Programme Manager, Association for Progressive Communication, India

The event will highlight practices to reduce information risks and their consequences in humanitarian contexts through enhanced connectivity and stronger digital protection for refugees and displaced people. The event aims to building the ongoing momentum of this work and increase the number of stakeholders taking action while showcasing the collaborative, community-informed partnerships current leading.

• Mr. Cheikh Abdallahi Ewah, Coordinator of the Hodh Charqui Development Unit, Government of Mauritania 

• Mr. Ngoga Aristarque, Permanent Secretary, Ministry in charge of Emergency Management, Government of Rwanda

• Mr. Dyfed Aubrey, Chief of Office for the European Union, United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)

• H.E. Mme. Sabine Bakyono Kanzie, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Government of Burkina Faso

• Ms. Patricia Danzi, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Government of Switzerland

• H.E. Mr. Salomon Eheth, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Government of Cameroon

• Mr. Abdoulaye Garba Maïga, President of the Association of Regions of Mali, President of the Regional Council of Mopti, Government of Mali

• Ms. Dorong Grace, Executive Director, Root of Generations

• Ms. Soraya Goga, Lead Urban Specialist, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience & Land Global Practice, World Bank

• Mr. Barkai Hamid Barkai, General Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Government of Chad

• Mr. Kim Nøhr Skibsted, Executive Director, Grundfos Foundation

• Government of Kenya

The event will show how Latin America and the Caribbean have put the principles of the Global Compact on Refugees into practice through strong regional cooperation and inclusive approaches. It will highlight how coordination platforms such as the Chile Plan of Action, MIRPS, the Quito Process and the CONARES Forum reinforce each other to advance protection and solutions. Concrete examples will demonstrate how collaboration among governments, civil society, development actors and RLOs is generating real progress for forcibly displaced and stateless people. The event aims to present lessons learned, strengthen shared commitments and support continued leadership from the region.

This side event will bring together key regional and international stakeholders to reaffirm and strengthen global support for Rohingya refugees, more than eight years after violence in Myanmar forced over 655,000 people to flee, primarily to Bangladesh. Building on the momentum of the Multi-Stakeholder Pledge launched at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, the session will look at progress on the 45 pledges, showcase innovative approaches to resilience and self-reliance in the region, and mobilize renewed commitments. As donor fatigue and competing global crises threaten sustained engagement, the event will serve as a vital platform to translate expressions of solidarity into concrete action, reinforce burden-sharing with host countries, and send a clear message to Rohingya refugees that their protection, rights, and future remain a global priority.

Opening remarks:

• Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner (Protection), UNHCR

Panelists:

• Ms. Xadeni Méndez Márquez, Coordinator General, COMAR, Government of Mexico

• Amb. Moussa Ali Meigague, Director of Health and Social Development, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

• Ms. Gisela Esperanza Serrano Barco, Vice President, Fundación Mahuampi Venezuela, and Member, Grupo Articulador de Organizaciones Lideradas por Personas Refugiadas y Desplazadas a la Fuerza para Latinoamérica y el Caribe (GARLOS)

• Mr. Richard Garratt, Counsellor, Humanitarian and Migration, UK Mission to the WTO, UN and Other International Organisations

• Ms. Liliane Mukidi, Director, Umoja Skills Development, and Member, African Women’s Refugee-Led Network

• Mr. Murtaza Sarem, Capacity Development Officer and Coordinator of the Migration Research Committee, Afghanistan Hazaras Culture and Solidarity Association (AHCSA)

• Ms. Najeeba Wazefadost, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR), and Working Group Member, Independent Declaration on the Right to Participate

• Dr. Sanya Kirk Wilson, Mayor, Koboko Municipality, Uganda

• Ms. Dina Randrianasolo, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Innovation, Mastercard Foundation

Closing keynote speakers:

• Amb. Patrizia Danzi, Director-General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

• Mr. Emirhan Darcan, Refugee Representative, Swiss Government delegation, and Board Member, AsyLex

The event will highlight MRP as a rights-based imperative and strategic approach that strengthens the effectiveness, legitimacy and sustainability of refugee responses. It will showcase progress since the GRF 2019 and the MSP launched in 2023, while acknowledging that implementation remains uneven and requires further engagement. The session will present concrete examples of participation in practice, identify existing barriers and outline what is needed to reinforce MRP with approaching GRF in 2027. The event aims to renew commitment and broaden refugee leadership as a core element of global refugee governance.

Opening remarks:

• Ms. Judith Herbertson, Head of the Girls' Education Department, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Government of the United Kingdom

Moderators:

• H.E. Houda Babah, Minister of Education and the Reform of the Education System, Government of Mauritania

• Amb. Salomon Eheth, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations Office at Geneva

• Ms. Tasha Gill, Global Lead Migration and Displacement, UNICEF

• Ms. Sonia Grigt, Advisor for Research, Policy, and Advocacy, Education International

• Ms. Asia Jabarkhil, Founder, Refugees Income Integration through Skills and Education (RISE)

• Ms. Hrachuhi Katvalyan, Deputy Representative of Armenia to the UN Office at Geneva, Government of Armenia

• Ms. Recho Kibet, Principal, Blue State Secondary School Kakuma, Kenya

• Ms. Margarita Focas Licht, Director, Partnerships, Global Partnership for Education

• Ms. Katie Murphy, Interim Director, Moving Minds Alliance

• Ms. Dianah Nelsen, Chief of Education at Education Cannot Wait

• Ms. Mary Joy Pigozzi, Chief of Education, Education Above All Foundation

• Mr. Abdoul Kadir Bello Mamadou, Youth Representative, Chad

Closing remarks:

• Mr. Felipe Munoz, Inter-American Development Bank and Chair, Multilateral Development Bank Platform

As millions of refugee children remain out of school, this side event will explore how multi-year, predictable financing can unlock sustainable solutions by supporting their inclusion in national education systems. It will highlight how the GRF 2023 Education MSP is driving a shift toward long-term, system-strengthening approaches that benefit both refugee and host community learners. Through country case studies, new data, and a panel discussion, the session will examine how coordinated action across governments, donors, and partners is helping to uphold the right to education and build resilient, inclusive education systems amid growing displacement and constrained resources.

Moderator:

• Mr. Abdouraouf GNON-KONDE, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, UNHCR

Panelists:

• H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Asiedu Antwi, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Government of Ghana

• S.E. Mme. Sabine Bakyono Kanzie, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso in Geneva

• S.E.M Emmanuel Fiegolo, Ambassadeur, Directeur d'Aide et d'Assistance aux Réfugiés et Apatrides (DAARA), au Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, de l'Intégration Africaine et des lvoiriens de l'Extérieur, Government of Côte D’Ivoire

• Mr. Vondoly Akago Kodjo Djidjonu, Commissaire divisionnaire de police de classe exceptionnelle, Conseiller du Ministre de l’Administration Territoriale, de la Gouvernance Locale et des Affaires Coutumières, Gouvernment de Togo

• Mr. Yafradou Adam Taïrou, Directeur Adjoint du Cabinet du Ministre de l'Intérieur et de la Sécurité Publique, Gouvernement du Bénin

• Mr. Felix Sesay, Network Lead, Tertiary Refugee Student Network

• Ms. Larba Aminatou Tchede Issa, Executive Director, Club des Femmes des Savanes

• Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, Regional Director for Africa, UN Development Coordination Office (DCO)

• Ms. Ana Polanco Porras, Expert in Migration, Displacement & Development, Human Mobility Team, ENABEL, Belgium

• Ms. Charleine MBUYI-LUSAMBA, Regional Fragility and Resilience Coordinator for West Africa, Transition States Coordination Office (RDTS), African Development Bank Group
  

This side event will present the follow-up to the Regional Dialogue on National Security and Refugee Protection in the Gulf of Guinea and the Lomé Declaration of July 2025, through which Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo committed to a joint protection and solutions strategy. It will highlight the three pillars of the strategy, namely stronger protection systems and asylum, socio-economic inclusion, and voluntary repatriation with sustainable reintegration, and seek support to operationalize these through national action plans and budgeted projects that align with GRF pledges.