UNHCR’s impact is vastly magnified by its partnerships with other organizations. Some partners bring specialized expertise, some have a dedicated local workforce with unparalleled knowledge of particular areas or communities, some have networks of influence that are invaluable for mobilizing wider support. The depth and breadth of UNHCR’s partnerships was evident at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) 2023, which showed the scale and momentum of collaboration.
In 2023, UNHCR and UNICEF signed a Strategic Collaboration Framework, building on the Blueprint that they jointly implemented between 2020 and 2022. The new Framework includes goals in areas such as child protection, education, social protection, water and sanitation, data, and ending childhood statelessness. An evaluation concluded that the Blueprint had done what it set out to do but the Framework had the potential to strengthen the effectiveness of the partnership further, if States take steps towards the necessary legal and policy changes.
UNHCR and WFP collaborated widely on basic needs and cash assistance, sharing technical expertise via their Joint Hub. In late 2023, they launched a Joint Analytical Framework to better understand forcibly displaced people’s ability to meet their basic needs. UNHCR and ILO agreed a new Joint Action Plan for 2023-2025, setting the priorities for advancing an inclusive world of work in forced displacement contexts.
UNHCR’s collaboration with IOM underscores the importance of taking a route-based approach to displacement and migration and offers a set of concrete measures that States and other stakeholders can implement with the support of UNHCR and IOM. Major routes in 2023 included the path through Panama’s Darien jungle, the risky journeys towards and across the Mediterranean Sea, and the land route southwards to South Africa. A route-based approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and migrants and offers targeted assistance that can lead to effective protection, sustainable solutions, and legal pathways. Collaborative initiatives are essential in addressing the complex issues surrounding mixed movements while ensuring that the rights and needs of refugees and migrants are met with dignity and respect.
At the Global Refugee Forum, the “UN Common Pledge 2.0”, co-led by UNHCR with UNDCO and OCHA, reflected a strong commitment to advance refugee inclusion in UN plans and national systems and ensure their access to decent work. With over 100 commitments from various UN partners and UN country teams, the pledge aimed to impact the lives of millions. The pledge brings a transformative approach to partnerships, especially via its country-level component, and the involvement of development actors in the protection and inclusion of refugees.
Refugee Response Plans (RRPs) enable UNHCR and its partners to better coordinate large and complex refugee responses by providing an overarching vision and coherent engagement of RRP partners. In 2023, the eight regional RRPs mobilized over 1,470 partners to help protect and assist 22 million displaced people and supported 12.5 million people from host communities, with $4.575 billion received. Regional RRPs were issued for Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan and Ukraine. UNHCR and IOM co-led the joint response plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. Established mechanisms such as the 3RP for the Syria crisis (co-led with UNDP) and the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) for refugees and migrants from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (co-led with IOM) raised resources and ensured linkages between humanitarian action, resilience activities and development approaches.
Since 2016, most RRPs have seen a growing number of contributing partners. In the South Sudan Regional RRP, the yearly average number of actors per country almost doubled between 2016 and 2023, increasing from 16 to 30. In the Afghanistan Regional RRP, the number of actors nearly tripled from 2021 to 2023, from seven to 18. The Rohingya JRP had the highest number of partners, 59 in 2023.
The Regional RRPs also include more local and national NGOs, faith-based organizations, refugee-led and women-led organizations, bringing greater knowledge of the local context. In 2023, on average, 31% of partners were local or national rather than international. The RMRP showed the highest growth of local involvement, with the average share of local actors going from 7% to 51% between 2019 and 2023. Increasing the number and diversity of partners helps to design more accessible and inclusive refugee responses that better meet the needs of those most in need in a more sustainable manner.
These partnerships and collective efforts achieve tangible results. In 2023, 2.18 million people were reached as part of the Venezuela Regional Migrants and Refugee Response Plan; 179,640 households were reached with non-food items as part of the RRP for refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 119,308 people were supported with counselling on assistance and services, registration, documentation and global protection as part of the Rohingya JRP; 1.3 million individuals were provided with food, cash or mixed assistance through the Sudan RRP and 874,200 children participated in non-formal education programmes as part of the Ukraine RRP.
UNHCR has been at the forefront in establishing platforms for inclusive dialogue to allow for forcibly displaced and stateless peoples’ voices to shape policymaking. In 2023, the collaboration with the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and various NGOs networks led to the organization of seven regional consultations with over 1,500 participants on the theme of “Solutions with a focus on inclusion and gender equality”.
UNHCR's commitment to localization is indicative of the strategic shift towards empowering local organizations and communities, particularly those led by forcibly displaced and stateless people. In 2023, in consultation with partners, UNHCR initiated the development of operational localization guidelines, which aim to set the standards of its localization approach. These guidelines make certain that the voices and expertise of local actors can shape and are integral to the decision-making processes, thereby leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes in humanitarian responses.
A significant step towards localization was the multi-stakeholder pledge developed by UNHCR and ICVA for the GRF 2023. This initiative not only incorporated concrete funding commitments but also emphasized capacity-sharing, inclusion and enhancing coordination among various actors. A substantial pledge of $104 million made by more than 36 stakeholders to support 470 local organizations, more than 200 of them led by people who have experienced forced displacement firsthand, reflected a commitment to empowering communities directly affected by displacement and statelessness. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and sustainability, as it leverages the unique insights and leadership of those who understand the challenges and needs of their communities best.
The UNHCR Advisory Board, led by forcibly displaced and stateless people, engaged in consultations on UNHCR’s new child protection policy, its livelihoods and economic inclusion strategy for 2023-2027, and guidance on the inclusion of local organizations in the refugee coordination model. The selection of 70 experts with lived experience of forced displacement and statelessness by the Advisory Board to attend the GRF in 2023 underscored the commitment to meaningful participation. Furthermore, the Advisory Board's engagement with various multi-stakeholder pledges and its leadership in developing a joint refugee statement—endorsed by over 172 local organizations—exemplified a collaborative effort to advocate for the rights and needs of refugees.
UNHCR's Refugee-led Innovation Fund made initial disbursements of $750,000 for 17 projects in 2023 and prepared to allocate an additional $1.2 million to 26 projects in 2024. This initiative not only provides financial resources but also offers mentorship and technical support, fostering a community of innovation that can generate sustainable, positive change within refugee communities.
Following its launch in November 2022, UNHCR’s sport strategy, "More than a game", was rolled out across 17 country operations, driving positivity in communities by increasing opportunities for sport and play-based activities and by assisting refugees with elite talent to reach their potential. UNHCR engaged with the sports world in 2023, including through its partnerships with adidas, ANTA Group, FIFA, the European Club Association and many others, to communicate, advocate and use sport as a diplomatic and fund-mobilization tool in support of displaced and stateless communities. The strategy provided new project opportunities in countries like Bangladesh and Malawi and will bring further expansion in the coming year.
Collaborations with the world of soccer have grown significantly through partnerships with Football Club Barcelona, UEFA and FIFA, which are reflective of the increasing role that sport can play in advocacy and change. Football provides excellent opportunities for positive storytelling, helping to shift the narrative around refugees, and promote messages of unity and peace. In 2023, the UNHCR/UEFA Unity Euro Cup grew from 8 to 16 mixed refugee and host community teams, engaging more of UEFA’s 55 National Associations. The "Unite for peace" campaign during the FIFA Women's World Cup spoke to the need to address the root causes of displacement. Partnerships with World Athletics, the European Olympic Committee, and the Olympic Refuge Foundation have enabled refugees to participate in global sporting events, such as the World Athletics Championships in Hungary and the European Games in Poland.
With the Scort Foundation and the Olympic Refuge Foundation, UNHCR established a multi-stakeholder reference group to develop a new sport pledge for the Global Refugee Forum, under the banner of the Sport for Refugees Coalition. The multi-stakeholder pledge on sport for protection and inclusion was backed by more than 140 stakeholders and it is expected that by 2027 more than $60 million will have been committed, positively impacting a million people through sport and contributing to UNHCR’s advocacy and policy objectives.