In February 2024, members of the NZRAP attended the Working Group on Resettlement (WGR) in both Sydney and Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland in different capacities including Rabia Talal Almbaid and Julia Sheikh in their capacity as the (global) Refugee Advisory Group (RAG), Oo Meh, Ayan Said and Madiha Ali in their capacity as NZRAP members.
In Sydney, members participated in multiple panels as speakers on topics including meaningful refugee participation and leadership, mental health challenges, and addressing domestic and family violence in settlement. At the Auckland event, in partnership with MBIE, the NZRAP presented a session highlighting the panel mechanism alongside other recent initiatives to improve refugee participation at the national and local levels in Aotearoa.
Following on from the WGR, preparations for Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP), which is scheduled for June 2024 will commence shortly, with the NZRAP once again joining as a Refugee Advisory on the New Zealand Government delegation.
Note: The ‘Working group on Resettlement (WGR) is part of the Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP). This working group is a collaboration between governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Its purpose is to discuss and improve the processes and policies related to resettling refugees, ensuring they can move from countries where they have fled to new countries where they can rebuild their lives. The group focuses on sharing best practices, addressing challenges, and finding ways to enhance resettlement programmes globally.