by UN Liaison Laurie Richardson, with UN Rep Jane McCall Politi and Target Program Chair Tricia Saur
Migration and refugees are major issues on the international agenda; large-scale movements of refugees and migrants affect all UN Member States and require a comprehensive global approach. The UN General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016, as all 193 UN Member States committed to “more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility for hosting and supporting the world’s refugees.” The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is leading a collaborative process to develop a Global Compact on Refugees to be considered by the General Assembly in 2018. At the same time, the UN and the International Organization for Migration are working on a Global Compact for Migration to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration. FAWCO UN Reps have participated in Thematic Discussions on both Global Compacts in New York, Geneva and Vienna.
FAWCO UN Rep Jane McCall Politi (AWC Rome), Vice Chair of the NGO Committee on Migration (CoM), keeps FAWCO current about the latest research and advocacy work for the millions of children displaced by conflict, natural disaster and climate change. Across the globe, nearly 50 million children have been uprooted and their needs neglected. FAWCO joins other members of the NGO Committee on Migration calling for UN Member States to protect the human rights of all refugee and migrant children.
FAWCO has endorsed CoM position papers including “Positive Effects of Innovative Early Childhood Development Programs on Refugee Youth Resilience,” “An Overlooked Emergency: The Poverty of Forced Migrant Children,” “Providing Education and Care for Syria’s Littlest Refugees” and “Migrant and Refugee Children as Protagonists of Development and Peace.” These papers highlight the challenges faced by children in forced displacement: the loss of one or both parents, family members, friends, home, childhood and normalcy. If they are not in school, they miss out on learning; they often lack a sense of cultural identity and social integration. With CoM, FAWCO and OMEP (World Organization for Early Childhood Education) call upon governments to invest in early childhood development programs for migrants and refugee children.
To help meet these needs, FAWCO's Target Project: Hope Beyond Displacement supports education and skills development for refugee women and girls through the Collateral Repair Project in Amman, Jordan. In September 2017, Target Project funds enabled over 350 refugee girls to enroll in school.
FAWCO's advocacy for the rights of children, support for Hope Beyond Displacement through the Collateral Repair Project, and volunteer efforts in communities hosting refugees all contribute to improving the lives of refugee children and their families – through both policy development and hands-on assistance.