The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) 2023, held in Geneva from 13-15 December 2023, focused on the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), including the realisation of its main objectives to ease pressures on refugee-hosting states, to empower refugees and to find solutions. The GRF was co-convened by five states — Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, and Uganda — and co-hosted by Switzerland and the UNHCR.
Members of the NZRAP attended the GRF in different capacities, including one as the Refugee Advisor for the New Zealand Government: Paula Santacruz; Rabia Talal Almbaid and Julia Sheikh in their capacity as New Zealand Refugee Advisory Panel (NZRAP), Madiha Ali, Antoinette Umugwaneza, Mustafa Derbashi (resigned member) in their capacity as Refugee Experts sponsored by the UNHCR.
The NZRAP have collated their learnings and strategic reflections on their experiences engaging both the planning and attendance at the GRF. This includes presenting key recommendations to the government across a broad scope of settlement opportunities. Key areas of note include leveraging private sector engagement, funding for Refugee-Led Organisations and MRP initiatives, and, importantly, ensuring that the Government’s own pledges on MRP, education and employment made at the GRF are interconnected in their implementation.