GLOBAL INITIATIVE AIMS TO GET MILLIONS OF REFUGEE CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL

▶ Delegates at Swiss forum aim to address migrant crossings as leaders emphasise shortfall in vital funding

A drive to allow half of the 15 million refugee children missing out on school to return to the classroom was launched at the Global Refugee Forum, in Geneva.

The move committed countries to open their national education systems to refugees, with 32 states guaranteeing funding or policy changes.

Supporters of the initiative emphasised Egypt’s role in integrating Syrian refugee children into its school system.

Another major pledge at the forum addressed the migrant crossings in the Mediterranean. “Protection at sea can be fostered in different ways, including by building capacities to provide and co-ordinate rescue,” said Yousra Mardini, an Olympic swimmer and Syrian refugee who presented the pledge.

Egypt is helping to lead a major pledge on peace-building and conflict prevention with Colombia and Norway.

Cairo announced two new commitments towards this project on Wednesday.

The first of these addresses the effects of climate change on displaced people in the African continent, and builds on the Cop28 summit initiative on sustaining peace.

Presenting the pledges, Dr Ihab Gamaleddin, Egypt’s ambassador to Switzerland, drew on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

“There is a deliberate plan to render the entire territory uninhabitable and force displacement of people whether inside or outside Gaza in clear violation of international law,” he said.

This was an example of the “stark consequences of seeking to manage crises”, rather than approach their “root causes”.

Yet these new commitments are mired by the dire funding shortfalls, highlighted at the forum.

King Abdallah II of Jordan said the country received only 20 per cent of pledges this year, the lowest on record, in his opening address, while the UN refugee agency said it was still missing $400 million in funding to end the year.

Marc Angel, vice president of European Parliament, acknowledged these shortages to The National.

“It’s important especially in Europe [that] we should not forget funding the UNHCR and UN and all the civil society organisations that are very much involved in refugees,” he said.

Yet these should be distributed to organisations working to support refugees within Europe, as well as host countries outside the EU.

“In our countries a lot of NGOs are helping to integrate refugees in our societies and they also need funding from governments,” he said.

As part of its pledge, the European Parliament will aim to engage in dialogue with other host countries about displacement, asylum and protection, he added.

It will also work with the UN refugee agency to help other parliaments draft legislation and exchange good practice.

Not all pledges made in the last gathering were met, and many refugee advocates present at the forum emphasised the need for words to be turned into action.

Sacha Chanoff, chief executive of Refuge Point, backed that call in Geneva.

“There were so many commitments in the last global refugee forum that I’m not sure there was a mechanism to really follow through on all of those as adequately as needed,” he told

We should not forget funding the UNHCR and UN and all the civil society organisations that are involved in refugees MARC ANGEL

Vice president of European Parliament