Linked events

Education Campus

• Open to the public, please register to attend  
• 🕖 Time: 09:00-16:30
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Hotel Geneva

The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Education Alliance will be hosting a full-day event on 12 December where stakeholders will reflect on progress made in realizing the vision for education set out in Refugee Education 2030 and the Global Compact on Refugees and commit to concrete actions for the coming four years.  More information on the programme can be found on the GRF Education Alliance web page. Attendance is open, however is space is limited and participants are asked to register.

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University Refugee Forum

• Open to the public
• 🕖 Time: 16:00-19:30
• 🌍 Venue: Les Salons, rue Jean-F. Bartholoni 6, 1204 Genève, Room Le Théâtre

With the University Refugee Forum, the project Uni4Refugees wants to highlight the challenges that refugees face regarding the rebuilding of national institutions and structures in their countries, and discuss sustainable solutions.  Indeed, in countries like Türkiye, Afghanistan and Ukraine, scholars and students recently faced the destruction of many state institutions, including higher education institutions. The forum will explore the role of academic structures in refugee integration as education acts as a powerful catalyst for change, opening doors to new opportunities and enabling individuals to unlock their full potential. Resilience and recovering play an important part of refugee integration and we will tackle these thematics while also taking into account the reshaping of local communities. This event is open to the public and free of charge. 

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Youth Leadership in Action: The Future We Cannot Afford to Ignore

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 16:00-17:10
• 🌍 Venue: Meeting Room C1, Maison de la Paix

In the midst of pressing global concerns, this session centralizes the meaningful engagement of refugee youth within the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) processes and the Global Refugee Forum (GRF). Recognizing their invaluable perspectives, this event builds on initiatives such as the "We Believe in Youth" report from 2021 led by Danish Refugee Council and partners,, the creation of a permanent UN Youth Office and the collective action by the Compact for Youth in Humanitarian Action. Further emphasis will be laid on the role refugee youth play in the Youth2030 agenda and the efforts by the Global Refugee Youth Network and UNHCR. 

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The Power of University Networks to Move the Needle on Refugee Higher Education

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 17:15-18:25
• 🌍 Venue: Meeting Room C1, Maison de la Paix

Education serves as a beacon of hope and a bridge to opportunity, particularly for refugees who face the double jeopardy of displacement and the quest for knowledge. The integration of refugee students into the global academic narrative is not just about granting access to education, but also about fostering a conducive environment for them to thrive, lead, and contribute. The upcoming side event seeks to highlight, consolidate, and amplify initiatives and pledges that are revolutionizing the academic journey of refugee students globally. 

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Promoting Evidence-based Implementation of the GCR through Teaching, Research, and Solidarity

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 18:30-20:30
• 🌍 Venue: Hall P2 / Auditorium Ivan Pictet Part B (A1B), Maison de la Paix.
• Virtual attendance is also an option for this event. Please register to attend virtually via Zoom below in advance. 

Promoting evidence-based implementation of the GCR through teaching, research and solidarity will be co-hosted by the Government of Brazil, the Government of Canada, and the Graduate Institute (IHEID), in partnership with UNHCR, the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network (GAIN) and the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC). This GRF linked event aims to showcase the impact of academic contributions on the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people since 2019 and provide the space for different actors to announce new commitments under the Shifting Power multi-stakeholder pledge and in support of the 15by30 campaign goal to enroll at least 15% of young refugee men and women in higher education by 2030. The event will include opening remarks from UNHCR; the Graduate Institute; and the governments of Brazil and Canada. Discussions will be preceded by a reception in commemoration of Sergio Vieira de Mello.  

Register to attend  Register to attend virtually via Zoom

Assessing EU External Cooperation on Asylum in Light of the UN Global Compact on Refugees: Lessons Learned and Promising Practices in Niger, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey 

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 12:30-15:00
• 🌍 Venue: Forum Geneve, Rue de Lausanne 11-19

This Workshop examines the scope and implementation of the European Union’s cooperation instruments on asylum governance with selected third countries, and their compatibility with the UN Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).

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40th Anniversary of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees: Towards a New Declaration and a Ten-Year Plan of Action for Protection and Solutions

• This event is fully subscribed
• 🕖 Time: 14:00-15:30
• 🌍 Venue: Palais des Nations - Room XVII

The year 2024 will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees (C+40). The Cartagena Declaration marked a new milestone in the generous tradition of solidarity, asylum, refugee protection and cooperation in the Americas. On the occasion of the next Global Refugee Forum, Chile, Brazil and Colombia will organize an event to launch C+40. The main objective of the event will be to present the final implementation report of the Brazilian Action Plan and begin a new consultation process, led by Chile, to agree on a new regional strategic plan for the next decade. In this way, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean will commit to working together towards the adoption of a regional Declaration and Plan of Action that incorporates the priority axes of the Global Compact on Refugees. This regional commitment to design a Strategic Action Plan (2024 Chile Declaration and Plan of Action) will be announced by Colombia as a significant contribution from Latin America and the Caribbean to the second Global Refugee Forum. 

This event has reached full capacity. For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Multi-stakeholder Approaches Towards Ending Statelessness

• This event is fully subscribed
• 🕖 Time: 14:30-16:00
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Geneva Hotel - Room Zurich

A group of leading civil society organizations working to end statelessness will host a GRF linked event on multi-stakeholder efforts to end statelessness. The event will feature a dialogue between two formerly stateless activists on the importance of meaningful participation of stateless people, followed by a panel composed of various stakeholders to take stock of multi-stakeholder action to end statelessness. In-person attendance is limited and the event is now fully subscribed. For more information, please contact: [email protected] 

Interfaith Breakfast - Faith Transcends: Commitment to Serving Our Neighbors

• Public event, please register to attend. Please note spaces may be limited. 
• 🕖 Time: 08:30-09:30
• 🌍 Venue: Ecumenical Centre

Bringing together faith-based and secular actors united by a shared commitment to supporting forcibly displaced people, this event will focus on the outcomes of the 2019 “Welcoming the Stranger, Shaping the Future, Living as Neighbors” pledge, led by LWF, HIAS and IRW, including the unveiling of a new pledge. This pledge aims to improve the support provided to forcibly displaced people by strengthening the capacity of humanitarian aid actors - both faith-based and secular - to incorporate faith sensitivity into their work and by strengthening the inclusion of local, host community faith actors in welcoming and assisting refugees and other displaced people.  

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Displacement Through a Gender Lens

• Open to the public, please register to attend

• 🕖 Time: 10:00-11:30

• 🌍 Venue: Palais des Nations, conference room XVII

The UN Women Gender Refugee Forum linked event focuses on "Displacement through a gender lens: Progress, challenges, and advancing global partnerships." Objectives include dialogue on advancing Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls (GEEWG) and exploring the role of women’s rights and organizations (WROs and WLOs) in interagency coordination. The event fosters dialogue on scaling up multi-stakeholder partnerships, with participants from CSOs, WLO/WROs, refugee representation, Governments, and UN agencies. 

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Leveraging the HDP Nexus and Improving Protection through a Whole-of-Society Approach: Good Practices from the Asia Pacific

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 11:00-13:00
• 🌍 Venue: Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG) - Plenary Room E+F

Based on pioneering research and participatory action by development and humanitarian actors from the Asia Pacific, panelists representing refugees, governments, and NGOs will share best practices for implementing the whole-of-society approach to: strengthen refugee self-reliance; integrate HDP Nexus in refugee solutions; and promote refugee-led initiatives for protection. The event is co-sponsored by KOICA, Good Neighbors, Act for Peace, KCOC, JPF, BRAC, APRRN and is open to the public. 

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Policies to Create Jobs and Community: Learning from the Evidence on Forced Displacement

• Open to the public

• 🕖 Time: 15:00-16:30

• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Hotel Geneva Hilton Hotel Geneva - London Room 
• Virtual attendance is also an option for this event. Please see details below. 

Can jobs policies be transformative for forcibly displaced and host populations and foster social cohesion too? Join experts from international organizations, government, and civil society to discuss the recent findings of Building the Evidence on Forced Displacement, a research partnership between the UK, the World Bank, and UNHCR. December 12, 3:00-4:30 pm, Hilton Geneva Hotel. Open to the public.  

Register to attend

To attend online, please join the event via zoom. 

Join the Zoom meeting

Meeting ID: 917 6695 7756 
Password: 472595

Culture Beyond Borders: Empowering Refugees through Cultural Rights for Inclusion and Resilience

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 15:30-17:00
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Hotel - Oslo Room

The event will take place on December 12, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. It will include a 60-minute roundtable discussion, featuring interventions from partner UN agencies (UNESCO, OHCHR, ILO) as well as refugee participants. The event will be conducted in hybrid modality and will be livestreamed with a view to engage more broadly partners and communities in shaping and implementing the preliminary roadmap. 

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Refugees in Trade: Supporting Refugee Businesses Through Private Sector Partnerships

• 🕖 Time: 16:00-17:30

• 🌍 Venue: ITC Office, 54-56 Rue de Montbrilliant

Refugees worldwide face daunting challenges as they seek safety, economic security and stability in new environments. While much of the focus in the Global North is on refugees arriving in their countries, at the end of 2022, 73 per cent of refugees were hosted by developing countries. Their journey from displacement to empowerment requires innovative solutions and collective efforts from various stakeholders. Through this event, we bring together key actors that address this challenge to unlock economic opportunities and create long-term and sustainable solutions for refugees in the Global South. 

Breaking the Language Barrier

• Open to the public, please register to attend by 5 December 2023.

• 🕖 Time: 18:30-20:00

• 🌍 Venue: JWL Headquarters - 18 Rue Jacques-Dalphin, 1227 Carouge

Lack of English language skills is one of the biggest barriers to accessing higher education for refugees, and women and girls face specific challenges in enrolling or completing tertiary studies. Join us on 12 December 2023 for an interactive session with representatives from our partners Cambridge University Press & Assessment and Loyola Idiomas (Universidad Loyola) to share good practices, challenges and opportunities in increasing female refugee enrolment in higher education programmes. 

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Locally-led Action to Address Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies 

• Open to the public, please register to attend 
• 🕖 Time: 08:30-10:30
• 🌍 Venue: Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG) - Plenary Room E+F

This linked event will take place at CICG, Plenary E+F, exploring lessons learned from the work of refugee women-led organizations (WLOs) on Gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE) and their engagement in global spaces. It will be interactive and open to the public, sparking dialogue between international stakeholders and refugee WLOs. The event is coordinated by CARE International and will include five (refugee) WLOs as representatives from several governments and multilateral institutions. Coffee and croissants served from 8.40 AM. 

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Welcome Japan Symposium

• Open to the public, please register to attend  
• 🕖 Time: 10:00-13:30
• 🌍 Venue: Impact Hub

This event is organized by Welcome Japan, an independent platform led by civil society members in Japan, aiming to promote a whole-of-society approach for challenges faced by those who have been forcibly displaced. The event seeks to connect voices and insights from Japan and other countries to go far beyond the Global Refugee Forum (GRF).

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Advancing Refugee Leadership and Participation as a Core Element of the ‘Whole-of-Society Approach’

• Open to the public, please register to attend  

• 🕖 Time: 14:00-16:00

• 🌍 Venue: Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG)

This session will explore how we can more effectively work to advance refugee leadership and participation in humanitarian and development responses as a part of a 'whole-of-society' approach. Research indicates that while refugees and other displaced communities possess unique knowledge, skills, and perspectives that can significantly contribute to effective solutions in international development, their expertise and experiences are often overlooked or marginalized within the top-down governance models that exist.  The session will consider and help to address the inequitable nature of knowledge production, funding, and power dynamics more broadly within the humanitarian system.  The session will showcase pioneering research and new guidelines that were developed through extensive consultation, are co-owned, and are now widely endorsed.  

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Shifting Power, Decision-making and Funding: Refugee Leadership in Humanitarian Responses

• Open to the public

• 🕖 Time: 17:00-18:30

• 🌍 Venue: Impact Hub

This linked event – organised by Oxfam, the Global Refugee-Led Network, the Overseas Development Institute and Development Initiatives - will bring together refugee-led organisations, researchers, humanitarian actors and donors to explore the current state of affairs when it comes to ensuring refugee leadership in humanitarian response - with a particular focus on shifting funding to RLOs.  

This linked event is a walk-in and open to the public and will take place on 12 December, 17:00-18:30 CET at the Impact Hub, Geneva.

Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

• 🕖 Time: 14:00-15:00
• 🌍 Venue: Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre - Plenary Room E+F

Refugees, regionally diverse international and local religious leaders, faith representatives and institutions will gather for a special ceremony of inter-religious prayer and tree planting, co-curated by the Plateforme InterReligieuse de Genève, and hosted by the World Council of Churches between 14h00 and 15h00 on 12 December at the Chapel of the Ecumenical Centre, Rte des Morillons 1, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva. The special event will be followed by announcements of GRF pledges by delegates. 

Bridging the Gap between Climate Action and Forced Displacement: Connecting COP28 and the Global Refugee Forum

• Open to the public
• 🕖 Time: 16:30-18:00
• 🌍 Venue: Centre International de Conférences (CICG) - Plenary Room E+F

This panel discussion - which will take place as COP28 concludes in Dubai and the GRF starts in Geneva - aims to bring the insights and discussions that emerged during COP28 into the GRF space, acknowledging where the agendas converge and where shared learnings may result. Through this discussion, organised by the Global Refugee-Led Network, the IFRC and Oxfam, we bring together refugee leaders, NGOs, policymakers and other stakeholders to explore the direct implications that the climate crisis is having on global patterns of forced displacement and promote joined-up policy-making in this area. As these crises converge, the need for collective action and shared responsibility has never been more urgent. 

This linked event is open to the public and will take place on 12 December, 16:30 – 18:00 CET at the Centre International de Conférences – CICG, Geneva. 

This linked event is a walk-in and open to the public. 

Los Que Pasan Photo Exhibition 

• Attendees of the Cartagena+40 event can access the exhibition, as well as individuals with a UNOG badge who can access the Palais des Nations. 

  🕖 Time: 10:00-18:00
• 🌍 Venue: Palais des Nations, near room XVII

During 2023, more than half a million people have crossed the Darien jungle, the border between Colombia and Panama. This figure is twice the number reported last year and equals the total recorded over the last 12 years. 

Photographer Tito Herrera's lens has captured "Los Que Pasan" (Those who pass by), a window into the hardships refugees and migrants have faced in crossing this dangerous jungle after being forced to flee because they are victims of persecution or because they have left behind everything they knew in search of better opportunities. 

In Herrera's words, "their stories are countless, but not very different, their faces very different but their hopes very similar". 

Attendees of the Cartagena+40 event can access the exhibition, as well as individuals with a UNOG badge who can access the Palais des Nations. 

The Swimmers Film Screening and Discussion

• Free entry, no registration required 
• 🕖 Time: 20:30
• 🌍 Venue: Cinérama Empire, Rue de Carouge 72, Geneva

Discover the film "THE SWIMMERS", and a story of how resilience can make dreams come true. 

From war-torn Syria to the Rio Olympics, the Issa sisters embark on a risky voyage, putting their hearts and their swimming skills to heroic use. A true story of triumph amid strife. 

Join us before the screening for a discussion on "Women and refugees: inclusion through sport". 

Partners: CAGI - UN Women 

More information

Refugee Teachers: The Heart of the Global Refugee Response at Auditorium A2, Maison de la Paix 

• Open to the public, please register to attend  
• 🕖 Time: 16:30-18:00
• 🌍 Venue: Auditorium A2, Maison de la Paix

The event will be 90 minutes long and a hybrid of online and in person presentations. NORRAG Executive Director Moira Faul will moderate. The session will start with a presentation about teachers’ work and wellbeing by a refugee teacher. A teacher educator from Uganda will then discuss the importance of quality TPD for refugee teachers and the impact this has on refugee student attendance. Our panellists will then relate these presentations to the policy priorities of their respective organisations or initiatives, as documented in the NORRAG Policy Insights publication. The session will conclude with a 25-minute moderated discussion with audience questions.

Register to attend 

Empowering the Refugee Narrative: Exploring the impact of business and media on positive change 

• Open to the public, please register to attend  
• 🕖 Time: 15:30-18:00
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Geneva Hotel - London Room

Join us to explore innovative initiatives and best practices that pave the way for an ethical and unbiased narrative and coverage of refugees, ensuring their authentic voices take center stage in the public discourse.

Register to attend

Inclusive Education Systems: A Dialogue with National Leaders Around Policy Challenges and Opportunities

• 🕖 Time: 08:00-09:30
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Hotel Geneva

The dialogue, structured to broker knowledge across actors, will probe the extensive experience and perspectives of the co-conveners and co-hosts, aiming to elevate effective practices and policies across countries and regions facing similar challenges. 

Please direct inquiries to [email protected]  

Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative – A Celebration of Sponsorship Past, Present, and Future

• This event is fully subscribed
• 🕖 Time: 08:00-09:30
• 🌍 Venue: Permanent Mission of Canada

This high-level exchange will bring together representatives of the whole of society to celebrate the growth of community sponsorship since the last Global Refugee Forum, to recognise the individuals and organisations who have played a leading role in growing sponsorship programs around the globe, and to spotlight the pledges made to increase the number, scale and diversity of community sponsorship programs at the GRF 2023. This event is fully subscribed.

Navigating Localization: The Imperative for Locally-led Action in Displacement and Statelessness Responses

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 18:30-20:00
• 🌍 Venue: Ferme Sarasin

Advancing the localization agenda is a priority of many stakeholders engaged in the Global Refugee Forum. At this linked event, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and UNHCR are facilitating a whole-of-society discussion on some of the central dimensions of localization, including partnerships, funding, capacity-sharing and inclusion in decision-making. The event aims to broaden the discussion and galvanize support for the multistakeholder pledge on "Advancing localisation in displacement and statelessness responses". 

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Reuniting Families, Rebuilding Lives

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 18:30-21:00
• 🌍 Venue: The Red Cross Red Crescent Museum

The Global Family Reunification Network  (FRUN) is hosting a GRF linked event entitled “Reuniting Families, Rebuilding Lives”. This event represents an opportunity to discuss the importance of preserving family unity and the need for effective family reunification mechanisms. Making use of the unique setting, with its interactive experiences and exhibition pieces, the event will also feature a panel discussion with senior figures from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, UNHCR, refugee speakers and others.  We will highlight the impact of family separation on individuals and the critical importance of activities in support of family tracing and reunification, as well as showcase commitments made by a diverse range of stakeholders to enhance access to family reunification in support of the Multistakeholder Pledge to Support Refugee Family Reunification. The event will take place on Thursday 14 December 2023 from 18:30 to 21:00 (CET) at the Red Cross Red Crescent Museum. 

Register to attend

Collaboration Space: Private Sector Engagement in Achieving 15 Per cent Enrolment of Refugees in Higher Education

• Open to the public, please register to attend  
• 🕖 Time: 16:00-17:30
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Hotel Geneva - London Room

The session is designed to facilitate collaborative dialogue between the private sector, education leaders, and youth to co-create innovative solutions to achieving 15by30. Understanding that each of these stakeholder groups brings a distinct perspective, the Global Refugee Forum is a unique moment to learn from and build on the rich discussion that will undoubtedly arise from this engagement. 

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Refugee Labour Mobility: Safe Journeys to New Homes Through Employment 

• 🕖 Time: 18:30-20:30

• 🌍 Venue: The Intercontinental

The Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility will host a reception to raise the profile of refugee employment and refugee labour mobility, bringing together the work of the Task Force with the World Economic Forum’s Refugee Employment Alliance Refugee Employment Alliance | World Economic Forum (weforum.org).  This event will convene senior business leaders, governments, refugees, international organizations and NGOs to highlight the opportunities for international recruitment of refugees from their country of asylum to fill job vacancies in a destination country, taking advantage of safe, legal visa pathways to help refugees find a lasting solution to their displacement—a mutual benefit solution that shifts the narrative.  The reception will be held at the Intercontinental Geneva, 7-9 Chemin du Petit-Saconnex, Geneva, on Thursday 14 December between 18h30 and 20h30.

For more information, please contact: [email protected] 

Nothing About Us Without Us: Brainstorming Multilateral Reform to Systematize Accountability to Affected People in the Global Refugee Response

• Open to the public, please register to attend.  
• 🕖 Time: 13:30-14:30
• 🌍 Venue: The Humanitarian Hub

Join us on December 14, 2023, from 13:30 to 14:30 CET at the Humanitarian Hub for "Nothing About Us Without Us: Brainstorming Multilateral Reform to Systematize Accountability to Affected People in the Global Refugee Response.” This panel discussion, open to the public, will convene a multi-stakeholder group of actors who are working to ensure accountability to affected people and advance participatory policymaking. The objective of this event is to chart a path forward to systematize meaningful refugee participation, drawing inspiration from movements like disability rights, indigenous rights, and youth inclusion. 

Register to attend 

Women as Agents of Change - Investing in Displaced Women’s Local Solutions to Global Crises 

• Open to the public, but registration is limited to 50 people. Please register to attend.  

• 🕖 Time: 17:30-18:30

• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Geneva Hotel - Madrid Room

The event aims to accelerate displaced women’s role as decision-makers and agents of change to promote local and gender-transformative solutions. It highlights the leadership roles of women and their transformational socio-economic and political initiatives in displacement settings. The event underlines the importance of feminist foreign policy and funding in enabling and increasing displaced women’s meaningful participation and leadership, calling on decision-makers to make strategic investments in displaced women’s local solutions to global crises. It brings together speakers from government, women leaders and refugee leaders working on behalf of and together with displaced women and girls to discuss their solutions, challenges, and way forward.

A reception will take place from 18:30 to 19:30.

The event is public, but registration is limited to 50 people. 

Register to attend 

Melkadida Refugee Compact and Kebribeyah Integration Road Map

• Open to the public, please register to attend
• 🕖 Time: 10:00-11:30
• 🌍 Venue: Hilton Geneva Hotel - London Room
• Virtual attendance is also an option for this event. View livestream. 

Co-hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and IKEA Foundation with support from UNHCR, the thematic focus is on climate-adaptation and local solutions focusing on Ethiopia’s approach to refugee inclusion in the context of Melkadida and Kebribeyah refugee hosting areas. The transformative partnership with IKEA F and ongoing collaboration with IFC will be discussed. The event is open to the public & will take place on December 14, 2023, from 10:00-11:30 at Hilton Geneva Hotel.  Refugees will participate through virtual modalities, including video messages from Melkadida and Kebribeyah.

Register to attend 

This event will also be livestreamed on the link below.

Watch livestream

Sports Without Borders

• Refugees attending GRF 2023 or living in Geneva are invited to attend, please register
• 🕖 Time: 18:30-21:30
• 🌍 Venue: École Internationale de Genève - Campus des Nations

UNHCR together with Association Pervenches, FLAG21 and the Ecole international de Genève (Ecolint) are planning a sport event in the evening of 14 December 2023 at the Campus des Nations of Ecolint. The event will bring together refugees living in Geneva and refugees attending the GRF. The participants will be able to try a range of activities (football, basketball, volleyball, yoga, aerobics/zumba). 

Register to attend (for refugees)

We Dare to Dream

• 🕖 Time: 18:30-21:00
• 🌍 Venue: Pathe Balexert Cinema

Academy Award®-nominated Waad al-Kateab (For Sama) documentary -We Dare to Dream - executive produced by Angelina Jolie and John Legend- follows refugee athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon who swim, run and fight their way to opportunity and safety in host nations across the world. The film reveals their lives and hopes as they train to compete on the world stage, showing the drive of young people forced to flee to build new lives out of nothing. The screening will include a panel discussion on the role of sport in response to the global displacement crisis.  This event is fully subscribed.

Register to attend

• Open to the public
• 🗓️ Dates: 06-24 December
• 🕖 Time: 11:00-21:00
• 🌍 Venue: The Quai du Montblanc

From 6 – 24 December, shop refugee-made products from MADE51 at the Christmas market in Geneva, located on the Quai de Mont Blanc. From stockings to stuffed animals, dolls to Christmas décor, the MADE51 Chalet will feature a festive selection of beautiful products, handcrafted by refugees around the world. Give a gift that creates hope away from home this holiday season. Brought to life in collaboration with Switzerland for UNHCR. Visit the Noël au quai website for more information. The event is open to the public.

Learn more

• Open to the public on 13 and 14 December
• 🗓️ Dates: 12 December refugee participants; 13-14 December open to the public
• 🌍 Venue: 12 December: at Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG) between 12:00 - 14:00 for refugee participants
• 🌍 Venue: 13-14 December: by the Place de Neuve/Parc des Bastions between 09:30 - 16:30 for the public

Switzerland for UNHCR is hosting an Inside Out Project from December 12-14 in support of the Global Refugee Forum. Portraits of refugees and locals will be pasted on the Mur de la Treille, emphasizing solidarity and involvement of the community. The iconic van-turned-photo booth will be brought to the CICG on the 12th for refugee participants to get their portraits taken and will be open for public participation at Place de Neuve on 13 and 14 December. Celebrating Geneva's history as a welcoming place, the project includes the Canton, City, and Switzerland's Permanent Mission to the UN.  The event is open to the public. 

Learn more

• Open to the public
• 🗓️ Dates: 12-15 December 
• 🕖 Time: 10:00-19:00
• 🌍 Venue: Impact Hub
• Please see the agenda for the event for further details

The Open Society Foundations and Robert Bosch Stiftung are hosting a multipurpose space for representatives of refugee-led organizations and refugee leaders during the 2023 Global Refugee Forum. Our objective is to provide a safe space for refugees to freely exchange ideas and organize events, workshops, performances and other related activities. We anticipate hosting 2-4 events each day along with dedicated time slots for informal networking. The daily agenda will be curated by refugee leaders and include activities organized by RLOs and their partners.  The overall theme for the space will be ‘Refugee Leadership.’ However, since we are organizing multiple events and activities over the course of the week, many topics will be discussed, including: funding and resourcing RLOs, refugee representation in national and global policy, challenges facing refugee students, local protection initiatives, etc. We also hope to facilitate engagement between refugee leaders and donors to foster collaboration and partnerships. The event programme is still in development. This multipurpose space will be located at Impact Hub Geneva; events and activities will take place daily from 12 December to 15 December, from 10:00 to 19:00. All events and activities will be co-organized and attended by refugees. Events will be open to the public – walk-ins.

View the R Space agenda