The Role of the Private Sector in Economic Integration of Refugees
On this site you can find the results from the conference on the Role of the Private Sector in Economic Integration of Refugees hosted by the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank, and the Confederation of Danish Industry.
Reflections on the role of the Private Sector
On June 11-12, 2019, the World Bank Group (WBG), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) co-hosted a global event on the role of the private sector in economic integration of refugees. The event did bring together stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to share knowledge and develop new ways to mobilize expertise, linkages, finance, and resources in support of refugees. The conference took place ahead of the Global Refugee Forum (December 17-18 in Geneva), which aims to build momentum towards achieving the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees, a year after it was first adopted.
The conference brought together practitioners from the field, investment companies and private sector firms, refugee entrepreneurs, labor market representatives, donors and other development partners, including Multilateral Development Banks, chambers of commerce, and public sector actors. Representatives from more than 30 countries participated in the conference.
The conference centered around four themes:
Entrepreneurship
Supporting refugee entrepreneurship; innovation and incubation programs for refugees; youth entrepreneurship training schemes; diaspora mobilization in support of refugee entrepreneurs.
Investment
Impact investing to benefit refugees and host communities; private capital mobilization to scale companies employing or benefitting refugees; business-to-business deals which increase opportunities for refugees; innovative blended finance tools that benefit refugees.
Employment
Labor policies and refugees; private sector experience in selecting, training and employing refugees; refugees’ voice and representation in the labor market.
Services
How corporations and small businesses adapt to the influx of refugees through market-driven approaches; private business support to supplement public aid; adapting and redesigning business models.
Video cases
During the conference, a few video cases from Denmark and Turkey high-lighted the dual win-win benefits from employing refugees. Find the interviews with Intertim Export Manager, Interim Refugee, and ISS Refugee below:
