Refugee youth call for stronger investment in skills and decent work at ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026

New York, United States of America (ILO News) - Refugee youth leaders and partners called for stronger investment in skills development and decent work, warning that without urgent action, millions of young people risk being left behind. The call came during a side event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026, which brought together around 70 participants representing Member States, UN agencies, youth-led organizations and civil society.

With record levels of forced displacement globally, participants stressed that limited access to education and employment continues to undermine young people's ability to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.

The event, "Link, Learn, Localize: Working with and for Young People to Advance Self-Reliance in Forced Displacement Contexts", also introduced the PROSPECTS4Youth Intergenerational Network (IGN), a new initiative jointly developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The network will bring together governments, UN entities, refugee youth-led organizations, civil society, academia and private sector actors to strengthen coordinated action across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus - linking immediate assistance, long-term development and peacebuilding efforts.

Co-organized by the ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF and the Global Refugee Youth Network (GRYN), and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action and the United Nations Volunteers programme, the session highlighted how meaningful youth engagement, partnerships and localization are key to advancing the socio-economic inclusion of forcibly displaced youth.

Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative to the UN and Director of the International Labour Organization Office for the United Nations, emphasized the importance of placing young people at the centre of responses to forced displacement. She highlighted the importance of long-term approaches that place young people at the centre of efforts to address forced displacement.

Ambassador Erastus Ekitela Lokaale, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations, stressed the importance of refugee-inclusive national policies, highlighting Kenya's Shirika Plan as a transformative framework for integrating refugees into national systems, expanding access to essential services and economic opportunities, and advancing self-reliance and sustainable development.

Jurriaan Middelhoff, Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, reflected on the lessons learned from over five years of implementing the Netherlands' Youth at Heart Strategy, which places young people at the centre of development cooperation efforts, and highlighted the role of partnerships such as the PROSPECTS Programme in advancing youth access to education, skills and employment.

A central theme throughout the discussion was the role of refugee youth-led organizations in responding directly to community needs and advancing localization - ensuring that solutions are designed and led by local actors.

In Tongogara Refugee Camp in Zimbabwe, youth-led initiatives are already making a tangible difference. "Through RCCA, young people are leading community-based initiatives that have become essential for daily survival," said Nifasha Adelaide, Youth Leader and Associate at GRYN and Co-founder and Gender-inclusive Coordinator of the Refugee Coalition for Climate Action (RCCA). "Our environmental education, nursery management, agroforestry and sustainable energy activities are not only climate action projects they are practical responses to the economic challenges facing refugee families in Tongogara refugee camp in Zimbabwe."

"Education is such a powerful tool for refugees - it is a lifeline to dignity, a pathway to opportunity, and the foundation for rebuilding lives and communities", emphasized UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador MaryMaker, founder of Elimisha Kakuma, an initiative supporting access to higher education opportunities for high school graduates living in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya.

Siam Yabili, Founder of Congo Connexion, underscored the critical importance of expanding access to decent work opportunities for refugees, emphasizing that sustainable livelihoods are essential not only for restoring dignity but also for enabling refugees to contribute meaningfully to their host communities and economies.

Kellie Leeson, Vice President at the Women's Refugee Commission, reflected on the persistent barriers to partnering with and channeling resources to refugee youth-led organizations and shared how Women's Refugee Commission has been overcoming these challenges. She said, "Supporting refugee youth-led organizations is far from straightforward - legal barriers, limited documentation, and compliance requirements often stand in the way. While we haven't always had perfect solutions, we have remained committed to finding ways to work through these challenges and ensure support reaches those who need it most."

Participants agreed that advancing self-reliance requires sustained investment in youth leadership, skills development and decent work opportunities, alongside stronger partnerships across sectors.

Closing the session, Laura Valencia reflected on the importance of meaningfully engaging young people in forced displacement contexts in interventions and decisions that impact their lives: "Our lived experiences offer powerful insights and when our contributions are taken seriously and supported in a meaningful way, real and lasting solutions can emerge."

The forum concluded with a call for governments and partners to scale up investment and ensure refugee youth are actively involved in shaping policies and programmes, turning commitments into concrete action.