Multistakeholder Pledge: Economic Inclusion and Social Protection

Key outcomes

Commitments which form part of this multi-stakeholder pledge will contribute towards advancing the economic inclusion and social protection of refugees, other forcibly displaced and stateless people, and host communities.

Members commit to taking specific actions in the following thematic areas:

• Law & policy. To build enabling environments in States to promote equal access to economic opportunities, employment, decent work, and inclusive government social protection systems. This includes effective access to the right to work, rights at work, and social rights through access to labour markets and contributory and non-contributory social protection systems. Pledges will support related rights such as freedom of movement, access to individual registration, documentation, and legal status, as well as access to productive land, education and training, bank accounts, and other financial services. Policy pledges will also assist States and local governments to implement national legislative frameworks, prepare for future needs and shocks, and promote strategies that mutually benefit refugees, other forcibly displaced and stateless people, and host communities.
• Data & evidence. To support strengthened planning, effective programming, and inclusive law and policy-making through the provision of tools, expertise, and data disaggregated by age, gender, and disability status to advance measurement and build the evidence-base related to self-reliance, economic inclusion and social protection outcomes.
• Programmes. To support socio-economic inclusion and enhance employability and employment, including through strengthening pathways to inclusion in and adjustment of government social protection systems to address poverty and vulnerabilities across all stages of life; implementing programmes and providing technical assistance to facilitate self-reliance for people of all ages, genders, and diverse groups; creating decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in local and digital economies; and supporting local economic development through intersectional area-based approaches in urban and rural contexts. In addition, pledges will support the development of innovative, flexible, and predictable funding models to support inclusion and allow for sustainable funding to local governments and communities, including organizations led by forcibly displaced persons, alongside the expanded engagement of development partners and the private sector. Pledges may include linked outcomes for vulnerable groups including women, children, youth and adolescents, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

Background

The pledge recognises the generous commitments made at the GRF 2019 by States and others and seeks to build upon implementation and progress made on these with renewed support. The pledge builds on the outcomes of the High Commissioner’s Protection Dialogue innovation lab on self-reliance in November 2022 and commitments made in 2019.

Pledge description

The economic inclusion and social protection pledge aims to galvanize concrete commitments from a wide range of stakeholders to advance the self-reliance of refugees, other forcibly displaced and stateless people, and host communities. It will advocate for inclusive law and policy to enhance economic inclusion; access to agricultural land, food security, local and remote employment and decent work and financial services; entrepreneurship; training and lifelong learning; and inclusion into national social protection systems. Commitments will be evidence-informed and supported by relevant programs, technical assistance, and financing mechanisms.

This pledge will serve as a platform to promote synergies and matching opportunities between pledging entities and other stakeholders to fulfil implementation of pledges, share best practices, and aggregate resources, tracking and accountability related to the thematic areas of economic inclusion and social protection.

The pledge aims to have new policies that promote self-reliance, including through facilitation of refugee access to labour markets and social protection programs, implemented or strengthened in at least 15 countries.

Supporters commit to taking specific actions in the following thematic areas: 1) law and policy, 2) programming, initiatives and employment, and 3) data and evidence.

Related pledges to match

GRF 00252 - Government of Angola - Implement social protection mechanisms targeting refugee and host communities to strengthen social cohesion. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF 00560 - Government of Lesotho - Create opportunities targeting refugees in support of their integration, Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF 01031 - Government of Zambia - Issuance of residence permits for naturalization of former refugees. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF 01053 - Government of Zimbabwe - Strengthening self-reliance of refugees, asylum seekers and host communities. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00456 - Government of Djibouti - Improve investments in healthcare services by strengthening health facilities at all levels (I, II and III) in refugee hosting areas. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00517 - Government of Ethiopia - Strengthening the Government of Ethiopia’s Asylum System and Social Protection Capacity. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00536 - Government of Lebanon - Reaffirmation of Commitments expressed by the Government of Lebanon at the Brussels Conferences on supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, and the joint monitoring framework for implementation. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00620 - Government of Malawi - Strengthening of the legal framework and asylum system. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00637 - Government of Mali - Intégration des réfugiés dans les plans nationaux Integration of refugees into the national plans. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00968 - Government of Somalia - Creation of Jobs for Somalis, including Displaced Communities 2020-2024. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00672 - Government of Mexico - Eficiencia en el registro, procesamiento de solicitudes y coordinación interinstitucional para documentación de calidad que asegure acceso a derechos / Efficiency in registration, application processing and inter-agency coordination for quality documentation that ensures access to rights. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00908 - Government of Rwanda - Build an effective and efficient registration documentation system including birth and marriage registration and the recognition of the legal status of displaced persons and their families. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-01035 - Government of Zambia - Civil registration and legal documentation for Refugees. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-01052 - Government of Zimbabwe - Strengthening institutional capacity of the national civil registry. Find out more about matching this pledge.

Leadership

• Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative (RSRI)
• The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa
• Government of Denmark
• Government of Germany
• Government of Mexico
• Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Government of the United States of America

Supported by UNHCR.

Technical co-conveners of this pledge include:

• The International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Innovations for Poverty Action
• The Poverty Alleviation Coalition
• TENT Partnership for Refugees

Technical contributors include:

• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• The World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement
• The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• UNICEF

Members

• Government of Belgium
• Government of Zimbabwe

We welcome contributions by partners and stakeholders as their commitments develop.

Contact details

[email protected] / [email protected]

Calendar

• 17 May 2023 - Introduction of the pledge at the Global Refugee Forum 2nd formal preparatory meeting.
• 02 November 2023 – Pledge Virtual Briefing #2 – register online
• September- December 2023 - Pledge development.