United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Monaco Reiterates its Commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees

© DR

On 14 and 15 December 2021, Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, took part in the first meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in order to take stock of the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees, two years after the holding of the first Global Forum on Refugees in Geneva in December 2019.

In her speech, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation reiterated the commitment of the Prince's Government to promoting the four objectives of the Pact, which are to alleviate pressure on host countries, strengthen the autonomy of refugees, broaden access to solutions in third countries and promote the conditions for safe and dignified return to countries of origin.  As Isabelle Rosabrunetto emphasised, "the Principality is committed to ensuring the fundamental rights of refugees, which have been weakened by the health and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to promoting the empowerment of women and girls in particular."

At this meeting, the Government registered the pilot project "Access to Higher Education for Refugee and Displaced Youth in Humanitarian and Development Professions in West Africa 2021 - 2024" as a commitment for the implementation of the Global Compact. This project, which is a practical solution to improve the lives of refugees and support host countries, brings together Monaco, the H.C.R. and the Bioforce training institute.  It is part of the H.C.R.'s "Refugee Education 2030" strategy, which aims to achieve 15% of refugee students in higher education by 2030 compared to 3% at present.

As a reminder, the Principality of Monaco supported the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees in December 2018 and took part in the first Global Forum in December 2019 in Geneva.  As part of official development assistance (ODA), Monaco is one of the leading contributors per capita to the H.C.R.  Its contributions aim to ensure that refugees have access to education, health and sustainable employment in the host countries that benefit from Monaco's Official Development Assistance.  For several years, Monaco has also supported the work of the H.C.R. with regard to the protection of forcibly displaced persons in the context of the climate emergency.