Harikar NGO’s Executive Director participated in Global Refugee Forum - 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland

The Global Refugee Forum, held every four years in Geneva, is a vital platform for galvanizing global action on the refugee crisis. In December 2023, over 4,200 participants from 168 countries, including government officials, refugees, and humanitarian organizations, convened to translate the Global Compact on Refugees into concrete commitments. Co-convened by five States – Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, and Uganda – and co-hosted by the government Switzerland and UNHCR.

Mr. Salah Y. Majid, Executive Director for Harikar NGO was invited by Save the Children International (SCI) to attend the GRF 2023 as a representative of the Alliance, Child Protection and Humanitarian Action (CPHA), and presented a keynote highlighting the alliances successes in reducing family violence, empowering youth, and navigating complex protection needs, emphasizing the crucial role of child participation and inclusivity amidst ongoing challenges.

In the keynote, the Executive Director of Harikar highlighted Harikar and SCI’s significant achievements in child protection and psychosocial support (PSS) activities amid the protracted crisis in Iraq. Harikar NGO, a strategic partner of Save the Children International, has focused on localization, child-led initiatives, community-led protection, legislative work, and specialized mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs.

The keynote emphasized the crucial role of girls' and boys' participation in the success of interventions. By actively engaging the community's youth, Harikar NGO empowers the younger generation and enhances the overall impact and sustainability of initiatives. The strategic approach involves child-centered design, where children are involved in designing activities that address their needs and concerns.

Highlighting the importance of inclusivity, Harikar’s Executive Director, noted that they "adapt activities to be inclusive for children with disabilities whenever possible." He drew attention to the ongoing challenges faced by Iraqi children, particularly the 1.2 million IDPs, 300,000 refugees, 3.5 million out-of-school children, and the 25% lacking civil documentation. Despite funding constraints, Mr. Salah stressed the critical need to "continue responding to them through the generous donors." as humanitarian actors in Iraq are suffering from severe fund cuts.

The Executive Director of Harikar hopes that sharing these success stories will inspire continued dedication to the humanitarian mission in Iraq and looks forward to building on these achievements for an even more significant impact in the future.