Ghana hosts 2nd Africa Forum on Displacement

With the number of people forcefully displaced increasing and Sub-Saharan Africa hosting over 40 percent, finding African-led solutions to these challenges is paramount.

Accra, the vibrant capital of Ghana, plays host to the 2nd edition of the Africa Forum on Displacement, a platform for in-depth discussions on displacement-related issues, focusing on the role of the private sector. The three-day Forum is organized by a collaborative effort of the Amahoro Coalition, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Inkomoko, and supported by IKEA Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation.

According to the Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board, Professor Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah, this is an opportune time “for bringing in the private sector and partnering them in ensuring the inclusion of refugees. Clearly, traditional donors and sources of funding of UNHCR are now overstretched” Adding that  “it is indeed time for all of us to come together to do our bit to ensure that nobody is left behind” He further highlighted the Government of Ghana’s endeavour to ensure the inclusion of refugees in in Ghana through the implementation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme which seeks to ensure that the most vulnerable in society are supported to enable them to meet their basic needs.

In a strong statement to the over 200 participants calling on the private sector involvement in tackling the issues of displacement, the UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, Ms. Kelly T Clements said “We need governments, we need politicians, we need those with power, those with wealth; you have the opportunity to have a louder voice than some of the rest of us at the table. We need the person that lives next door to us to care, to listen. We need communities, churches and mosques…We need to talk about the humanitarian consequences but also [on] solution; what’s possible”.

Thought-provoking conversations at the opening centered on finding African-led solutions for African problems, encouraging the private sector to make a conscious effort towards the inclusion of people forcefully displaced. This led to private sector stakeholders making pledges to intentionally make room to employ forcibly displaced individuals in their various organizations while renewing previous commitments.

The Africa Forum on Displacement will facilitate the announcement of impactful pledges and contributions, explore private sector opportunities, highlight challenges, and provide recommendations to enhance the inclusion of forcibly displaced individuals, aligning with the goals of the Global Compact on Refugees. The pledges and contributions unveiled at the 2023 Accra Forum will pave the way for Africa's private sector involvement in the upcoming Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2023.

The Forum brought together leaders, experts, and changemakers from across the continent and beyond.