From December 13 to 15, 2023, a Monegasque delegation led by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation, participated in the Second World Refugee Forum in Geneva.
This year, the Forum’s themes were the access of refugees to higher education. Four years after the first Forum, this second edition organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was held to measure the progress made since 2019, and provide a space for governments and other stakeholders to announce new commitments.
The number of refugees and displaced people has tripled since 2010: 130.8 million people are affected, or more than one percent of the global population. Among them, more than half of refugee children do not have access to education.
During a panel discussion on higher education and refugee self-reliance, Ms. Rosabrunetto deplored “the double punishment suffered by children and young refugees in the educational field: not only is their schooling interrupted by their migratory journey, but they face administrative, financial or legal barriers once in the host country to continue their studies.
She reaffirmed the Principality’s commitment to socio-economic integration of young refugees, migrants and displaced people, through education and the development of basic and professional skills.
ORIGINAL SOURCE & PHOTO: Monaco Government Press Service
