2021 Regional Consultations with NGOs in Europe

UPDATE: The final sessions of the 2021 Regional Consultations with NGOs in Europe (21-23 September 2021) have concluded. Thank you to all attendees and contributors. A public note summarizing the events can be found here.

2021 Regional Consultations

As outlined in the concept note, these Regional Consultations are built on three pillars:

 

Pillar I – Regular Regional Dialogues

On a need-basis and to follow-up on past exchanges, regular Regional Dialogues will be maintained in 2021.

List of Regional Dialogues in 2021:

18 February 2021: Thematic Dialogue on independent monitoring mechanisms
Available documents: Concept note – Minutes – Mapping of existing NGO advocacy

27 May 2021: High-level Dialogue with the director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe
Available documents: Concept note – Minutes

Pillar II – Consultation on the proposed EU Pact 

On 6 July 2021, NGOs, UNHCR and EU institutions came together to discuss the state of play ten months after the unveiling of the Pact proposals by the European Commission and identify opportunities for joint and complementary advocacy.
Available documents: Concept note - Note

Pillar III – Final Consultations to feed into the 72nd session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme

With the objective to feed into the 72nd session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme (4-8 October 2021), NGOs and the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe intend to:

  • Provide a safe space for dialogue and networking between UNHCR and NGOs on the selected topics of discussion, in which participants are able to share activities, results, challenges and lessons learned;
  • Identify ways to concretely and jointly overcome obstacles and challenges related to the topics targeted by these consultations the European context;
  • Identify key advocacy messages on the selected topics of discussion. Where possible, develop complementary advocacy strategy taking into account existing advocacy mechanisms;
  • Map existing NGOs and NGO initiatives to enhance networking and synergies between UNHCR and NGOs, including at country-level.

Agenda

  • 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 – 9.00-9.15: Opening by the Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe
  • 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 - 9.15-12.30: Session 1: Enhancing inclusion in Europe through organisations led by forcibly displaced and stateless persons - Agenda - UNHCR Issue Brief - EU-level Report on the status of refugee-led community organisations
  • 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 - 9.00-12.30: Session 2: Enhancing the access of forcibly displaced and stateless persons to social protection schemes in Europe through local actors and initiatives - Agenda - UNHCR Policy Brief
  • 23 SEPTEMBER 2021 - 9.00-10.15: Side-event on funded partnerships between UNHCR and NGOs - Agenda

The full agenda of these Final Consultations is available here.

The recording of each session is available here. 

Consult the public note on Europe Regional NGO Consultations here.

Modalities

The 2021 Regional Consultations with NGOs will be held online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Registration

These Consultations are open to NGOs based in Europe, with a regional, national, and/or more local geographical coverage. Organisations led by forcibly displaced and stateless persons are strongly encouraged to register. Interested parties may register using this online form.

Contact

For any query, please contact:

  • Florent Marty ([email protected]), Senior Partnership Officer, UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe;
  • Morgane Ecollan ([email protected]), Partnership Associate, UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe.


2020 Regional Dialogues with NGOs

Since July 2020, the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe, together with ECRE and ICVA, is committed to maintaining a regular dialogue between UNHCR and NGOs in Europe to:

  • Ensure two-way information-sharing on the situation of forcibly displaced and stateless populations the region, including based on complementary monitoring;
  • Identify opportunities for joint and complementary advocacy, including between Brussels and Geneva-based actors.

List of Regional Dialogues in 2020:

6 July 2020: High-level Dialogue between NGOs and the director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Europe
Available documents: Minutes

26 August 2020: Thematic Dialogue on recent legal developments in Hungary impacting access to asylum
Available documents: Concept note – Minutes

22 September 2020: Thematic Dialogue on the situation in Greece following the series of fires in Moria (Lesvos)
Available documents: none

24 November 2020: Dialogue on the situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as on the 2020 UNHCR Global Consultations with NGOs
Available document: Concept note – Minutes

8 December 2020: Dialogue on the situation in Greece, as well as on the upcoming 2021 Regional Consultations with NGOs
Available documents: Minutes