Global Council on Tolerance and Peace Highlights Urgent Need for Refugee Resilience at High-Level Event

At a high-level gathering hosted by the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace (GCTP), leaders, humanitarian actors, UN agencies, and refugee-led organizations came together to explore sustainable strategies to build long-term resilience among displaced populations.

UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, shared the staggering scale of forced displacement worldwide, outlining how the humanitarian sector, already stretched thin, is grappling with reduced funding from top donors. So far in 2025, 19 emergencies have been declared, on top of ongoing emergency declarations across 25 countries, resulting in significant and devastating impacts for millions of people displaced by war and persecution.

Mr. Al Jarwane, President of the GCTP, spoke about the imperative of collaboration: "Empowering refugees is not a favour we grant — it is a justice we owe. Whether through policy, education, leadership, or culture, we must shift from temporary relief to lasting solutions." Ms. Basma El-Zein, Vice President for Academic and Scientific Affairs at GCTP said: "Peace begins where dignity is restored."

Mr. Waqas Ahmed, Executive Director of the Khalili Foundation, emphasized the importance of intercultural dialogue that engages religious leaders stating: "There is a narrative about how faith creates conflict, but an even more powerful narrative about how faith inspires peace."

Ms. Ana Luiza Massot Thompson–Flores, the Director of Liaison Office from UNESCO, emphasized the importance of building networks and called on entities to unite: "It needs to be done through partnership. Peacebuilding will take all of us working together."

A key highlight of the event was the presence of Honourable Senete Epainde, Member of Parliament of the Republic of Chad, one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nations. Since April 2023, Chad has welcomed over 832,000 refugees from Sudan, integrating them into the national health and education systems. Chad’s progressive policies, including a 2023 decree enabling refugees to obtain national ID cards and access land, were praised as strategic enablers of resilience. Honourable Epainde said: "We hope to step forward and support refugees who have been left behind. Before we act, we’ll focus on creating thoughtful content and building community — so that one day, they too can find peace, purpose, and recognition in a place they can call home."

Mr. Peter Mozolevskyi, Refugee Parliament Representative from Switzerland, said: "Resilience is not a miracle. It is built with rights, support, and solidarity. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that refugees are not left waiting for help, but are invited to lead, build, and belong."

The event spotlighted the resilience and determination of displaced communities. "Resilience isn’t just about surviving—it’s about rebuilding lives, contributing to society," Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at UNHCR, noted, calling for a shift from short-term aid to long-term, development-driven solutions.

Mr. Maiwen Ngalueth, Co-Founding CEO of Refugees Advocacy Network, urged participants to include refugees in peacebuilding, saying: "Refugees are often forgotten or are unable to access global and national fora where issues of peace and reconciliation are planned and discussed. Refugees must be offered a place at the table in peace and reconciliation efforts."

The event also marked the launch of the book Fostering Refugee Resilience, with contributions from a diverse range of experts and practitioners from around the world, explores legal, social, and economic pathways to integration. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace and UNHCR to advance further collaborative efforts in building durable solutions for displaced populations.

As global displacement reaches record levels, the message from Geneva was clear: systemic building of resilience must be at the heart of any response.