Monaco has committed to help refugees in West Africa access training in humanitarian and development professions that lift them out of their current circumstances.

The Principality, along with UNHCR and Bioforce, signed a memorandum of understanding on 22^nd June, just after World Refugee Day on 20^th June. It occurred just ahead of the 70^th anniversary of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees signed on 28^th July 1951.

For this new project entitled ‘Partnership for the access of refugees to humanitarian and development professions in West Africa’, Monaco will be offering ​​a grant of €600,000 between 2021 and 2024.

The partnership will give refugees in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) job training in humanitarian professions, particularly those offered by the Bioforce training centre based in Dakar, Senegal.

It will allow refugees to participate in the decision-making processes that affect them, and give them a purpose and a way to help themselves and their fellow migrants, who are in extremely vulnerable situations.

The partners are uniting to achieve the UNHCR’s objective set out in the ‘Education of refugees 2030’ strategy, aiming to give 15% of refugee students access to higher education by 2030. This is a huge jump from the current 3%.

“Access for refugees to quality higher education is indeed an integral part of the protection mandate of UNHCR, which recently launched the ‘Aim Higher’ campaign to address this challenge,” said the three entities in their joint release.

 
Photo from left to right – Gilles Collard – Laurent Anselmi – Paolo Artini, Communication Department – Manuël Vitali