Home > About Us > UNHCR Events > Sharjah Conference on Refugee Children
Sharjah Conference on Refugee Children
Investing in the Future
Hundreds of people from around the world will gather on October 15-16 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, for a landmark conference on the protection of millions of refugee children and teenagers in the region. "Investing in The Future: Protecting Refugee Children" is being co-hosted by UNHCR and The Big Heart campaign under the patronage of Sharjah's ruler, Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi.
The conference, to be held at the Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre, will bring together government officials, representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies, academics, the media, child protection experts, refugees and young people from the United Arab Emirates. Participants will examine the protection of refugee children and young people, exploring concrete ways to strengthen protection systems.
This important gathering will highlight the need to strengthen existing partnerships between governments, civil society and international and regional agencies and to develop new ones. Participants will be encouraged to share good practices, lessons learned and innovative approaches to addressing the protection risks and vulnerabilities of refugee children and young people.
Themes to be discussed include sexual and gender-based violence; children affected by armed conflict; birth registration and legal documentation; protecting children through education; public-private partnerships for protection; media and protection; and life skills and livelihoods.
There will also be a special side event gathering young people from the United Arab Emirates and featuring workshops and interactive exhibits. They will learn about the dynamics and challenges of forced displacement and how humanitarian aid workers protect refugee children from abuse, violence and exploitation. One of the main outcomes of the conference will be a set of principles related to the protection of refugee children in the region.
