Young refugees urge bold investment in leadership, education and economic inclusion at ECOSOC Youth forum

New York, USA (ILO News): Young refugee leaders joined UN agencies and Member States at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025 side event, "Advancing Refugee Youth Leadership and Socio-Economic Inclusion for Sustainable Development". It served as a platform to share their innovative solutions driving change in their communities and to call for urgent and sustainable support for their leadership, education, and access to economic opportunities.

More than 120 participants - including youth, policy makers, and humanitarian and development partners - attended the event co-organized by the Permanent Observer Mission of IGAD to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Denmark, International Labour Organization (ILO), UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF - the United Nations agency for children, UNFPA - the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UN Volunteers, Danish Refugee Council, Save the Children, Plan International, the Global Refugee Youth Network (GRYN), and the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action.

Ambassador Cherinet Hariffo, Permanent Observer of IGAD to the UN, reflected on the growing challenges of displacement and anti-refugee sentiment. "The international community must rise to meet young refugees' determination with action, not just words - because their futures, and the future of our region, depend on inclusive policies, sustained support, and the recognition that dignity, education, and opportunity are not privileges, but rights", he added.

Jurriaan Middelhoff, Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work with the Government of the Netherlands reaffirmed his government's commitment to improving the prospects of young refugees across the Middle East and East Africa. He emphasized the pivotal role of the Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS) programme in promoting young refugees' access to education, training, leadership and employment opportunities. Netherlands' Youth at Heart Strategy, centers youth - especially those in vulnerable contexts - in it's development cooperation agenda.

This was complemented by Emilia Bøge Caliskan, UN Youth Delegate for Democracy and Partnerships at the Permanent Mission of Denmark, who shared the Kingdom of Denmark's efforts to institutionalize meaningful youth engagement including through the Youth Advisory Boards at Danish embassies and the Youth Delegate Program.

Despite funding challenges, refugee youth leaders presented compelling stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership. From launching social enterprises to initiating grassroots educational programmes, they demonstrated how youth-led solutions are driving progress across displaced communities.

"Through comprehensive training programmes, the Transformation Innovative Hub has empowered young entrepreneurs and helped them launch their own social enterprises", shared Kesiya Ramazani Stamili, a young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo who grew up in the Tongogara Refugee Settlement in Zimbabwe and founded the Transformation Innovation Hub (TIH).

The positive spillover of refugee-led projects on host communities was also stressed by Adhraa Faris Qwqa, National Young Adult Leadership Council member and co-founder of Life Savers, whose first aid training in Jordan has impacted both young refugees and the host community.

This year's ECOSOC Youth Forum took place against a backdrop of increased global uncertainty amid funding cuts to humanitarian and development work, which is likely to have serious consequences on forcibly displaced youth.

Thus, Omar Hashi, Youth on the Move Fellow Alumnus (UNICEF/UNV, Jordan), and George Tarr, UNHCR Youth Ambassador and Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate, emphasized the need to invest in community-driven projects led by displaced youth and to ensure access to quality education, mental health support, economic empowerment, social protection, and legal assistance to advance their rights and help them become self-reliant.

Following the panel discussion, the co-organizers - ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children, Danish Refugee Council and the Global Refugee Youth Network- reaffirmed their commitment to supporting refugee self-reliance.

"Investing in refugee youth, scaling up support for refugee-led organizations, and creating real pathways for education, employment, and leadership are not optional; they are essential to building a more just, inclusive, and resilient world", highlighted Sivanka Dhanapala, Director of the New York Office, UNHCR.

Eesha Moitra, Youth Engagement and Employment Officer with the ILO, stressed on the importance of complementing humanitarian assistance with a strong, development approach. Marcy Levy, ADAP Global Lead, UNICEF echoed that long-term investment in refugee youth helps advance localization.

Jakob I. Myschetzky, Global Advisor for Youth in Displacement, Danish Refugee Council called for leveraging models that unleash the potential of young refugees and focus on the scale needed to accelerate change. Mai Sami Ahmed, title, Save the Children added , "We must create safe and enabling environments, embedding youth leadership and perspectives, and investing in youth-led solutions."

"Young refugee leaders should not only be seen as beneficiaries, but as change agents and local leaders," concluded Barthelmy Mwanze, Refugee Youth - Led Organizations (RYLO) Coordinator, Global Refugee Youth Network as he spoke about the positive impact of partnerships with international organizations and NGOs through GRYN Youth Action Fund-a funding mechanism that empowers refugee youth to lead initiatives within their own communities.

The event concluded with a strong call for action to support refugee youth meaningfully, including through long-term, flexible funding for refugee-led initiatives; to strengthen youth-centered policymaking at all levels of governance; to expand access to quality education, skills training, and decent employment, and to scale partnerships that elevate and empower refugee youth-led organizations.