World Refugee Economic Summit: Stakeholders discuss youth inclusion, economic empowerment in Ghana

 In commemoration of World Refugee Day, stakeholders across government, humanitarian, private sector, and faith-based institu­tions convened in Accra for the World Refugee Economic Summit (WRES).

It was organised under the theme: ‘Leveraging Community as a Superpower to Build Sustain­able Livelihood Opportunities for Refugee Youth’.

The summit served as a platform for advancing policy and practice aimed at fostering refugee inclusion, self-sufficiency, and economic empowerment, with a specific focus on refugee youth.

Organised by a coalition comprising the Mastercard Foundation, Ghana Refugee Board (GRB), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amahoro Coalition, Christian Council of Ghana, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and WUSC’s DREEM Youth Advisory Com­mittee (YAE), the summit drew participation from policymakers, civil society leaders, private sector actors, and refugee youth repre­sentatives.

According to the United Na­tions, over 43.3 million refugees were under UNHCR’s mandate as of mid-2024, a figure reflecting the global urgency of sustainable and inclusive responses to forced displacement.

In Ghana, approximately 15,000 refugees and asylum seek­ers are currently hosted across camps and urban centers, with increasing calls for livelihood interventions and socio-economic integration.

Delivering the welcome address, Appiah Wiafe Adofo, Country Director for WUSC Gha­na, highlighted the imperative of integrating refugees into national development frameworks.

“We cannot talk about sus­tainable development without intentionally including refugees. Today, we are not just creating conversations—we are co-creating solutions with the very people who are living through displace­ment,” she said.

“This summit reflects our belief that refugee youth are not merely beneficiaries; they are builders of their own futures and contributors to national progress,” she added.

A key highlight of the summit was a panel session that brought together representatives from government institutions, human­itarian bodies, and the private sector. The session explored sys­temic barriers faced by refugees in Ghana and examined practical strategies to address them.

Tetteh Padi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB), disclosed that offi­cial identification cards would be issued to eligible refugees to fa­cilitate access to financial services and formal employment.

“The National Identifica­tion Authority law specifies that foreigners who are residents in the country for more than three months must be issued with a non-citizen identity card,” Mr Padi explained.

This move aims to regularise the status of thousands of dis­placed persons and unlock critical pathways to socio-economic inclusion.

The Ghana Immigration Ser­vice (GIS), represented by Chief Superintendent Francis Ayebie, reaffirmed its collaboration with GRB to streamline access to legal documents for refugees. “The GIS has maintained close part­nership with the GRB to ensure refugees can access necessary documents for accommodation in Ghana,” Mr Ayebie noted.

Delivering a solidarity mes­sage, Mercy Kusiwaa Frimpong of the Amahoro Coalition reported that over 33,000 job pledges had been secured from private sector partners for refugees across Africa during the recent Africa Forum on Displacement held in Nairobi.

“We are proving that refugees are not burdens. They are doctors, coders, agripreneurs, teachers, and technicians who fled conflict, not their skills,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the Mastercard Foundation, Rica Re­gan, Country Director, highlight­ed the organisation’s commitment to equipping displaced youth with the skills and tools needed for en­trepreneurship and employment.

“At Mastercard Foundation, we believe that by equipping ref­ugee youth with tools for entre­preneurship and employment, we lay the foundation for long-term growth and peace,” she said

 BY TIMES REPORTER

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