To support the Call to Action, the White House launched a new initiative to facilitate private sector engagement.

 

Throughout the Call to Action, the Partnership for Refugees team has been actively working to provide guidance to corporations that wish to take action to ensure that the resulting pledges are new, significant, and responsive to refugees' actual needs.  

 

The private sector can play an important role in addressing these needs.

 

The private sector can build upon existing efforts with governments, NGOs, and UN agencies that bring their unique capabilities and resources to bear in three impact areas: Education, Employment and Enablement. Contributing to social efforts such as these can provide value to companies that support them. 80% of CEOs see making a societal impact as a differentiator according to a recent study. But too often, they face a number of obstacles to develop a plan of action.
 

 

Knowledge

While there is a substantial amount of publicly-made information on public and private sector activities supporting refugees, it is scattered across multiple platforms.

Alignment

The private sector requires support to align their resources, capabilities, and objectives to address refugee needs.

Connection

While 85% of CEOs see cross-sector coalitions and partnerships as essential to accelerating societal impact, the private sector needs help identifying key actions it can take to make a meaningful impact and connect with governments, UN agencies and NGOs that are active in the refugee space.
 

The Partnership is working with the private sector in
the following three ways:

Share Knowledge

Provide resources, relevant knowledge, and information, including a landscape analysis and overview of opportunities.

Shape Pledges

Draw on knowledge of refugees' needs and ongoing projects in this space, provide feedback to corporations that have put forward ideas for new actions they might take.

Facilitate Partnerships

Connect interested corporations with relevant governments, UN agencies, and NGOs that support refugees globally across the three impact areas: education, employment, and enablement. 

 

This initiative focuses primarily on these three areas of impact.

The Partnership is seeking private sector companies to make new, measurable, and significant commitments that will have a durable impact on refugees. The Partnership provides guidance to private sector organizations that wish to take action and works to ensure that their pledges are substantial and responsive to refugees' needs. To get involved, click here.

Photo Credits: ©UNHCR/Agron Dragaj, ©UNHCR/Johan Bavman, ©UNHCR/Santiago Arcos Veintimilla