Refugee-Led Organizations Call for Inclusive, Sustainable Solutions Under UNHCR’s 50 by 35 Vision
The Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative (RSRI) is pleased to share “Advancing Refugee-Led, Inclusive, and Sustainable Solutions,” a statement developed by the RSRI Refugee Leadership and Refugee-Led Organization (RLO) Engagement Technical Working Group (TWG) on UNHCR’s 50 by 35 vision. The statement reflects the perspectives and priorities of RLOs and refugee leaders and calls for multidimensional approaches to self-reliance and sustained investment in the conditions that enable refugees to thrive.
The RSRI RLO TWG welcomes the ambition to move beyond prolonged dependency toward sustainable livelihoods, skills development, decent employment, entrepreneurship, market access, and meaningful participation. The statement emphasizes that achieving these goals requires more than reducing dependence on humanitarian assistance. Progress must be measured through a multidimensional understanding of self-reliance that encompasses economic and financial inclusion, education, legal rights, access to services, safety, psychosocial well-being, agency, and resilience.
To advance this vision, the RLO TWG calls on governments, UN agencies, donors, humanitarian and development partners, the private sector, civil society, host communities, refugees, and RLOs to work together to create the conditions for sustainable self-reliance. The statement also underscores the importance of meaningful refugee participation in program design, implementation, monitoring, accountability, and decision-making, alongside direct, flexible, predictable, and sustainable financing for RLOs.
Finally and importantly, the statement cautions against treating the transition toward self-reliance as an aid-exit strategy. Humanitarian assistance and protection remain essential for people facing vulnerabilities and structural barriers, and reducing assistance should never be the primary measure of success.
A consultative process shaped by refugee leadership
The statement was developed through a consultative, participatory process that captured the perspectives and priorities of RLOs and refugee leaders, including voices not regularly represented in RLO TWG meetings.
The process began with a survey circulated among RLO TWG members and shared more broadly with RLOs and refugee leaders in their communities. RLO TWG facilitator Mary Wangui then guided discussions to review the findings, identify gaps, and ensure diverse perspectives were reflected in the final statement. The draft was subsequently shared with refugee leaders and RLOs for further input and endorsement during the October TWG meeting.
To date, 72 RLOs across 16 countries have signed the statement, reflecting broad engagement with its priorities. Additional organizations have expressed interest in sharing it on their own websites after publication, extending its reach beyond the RSRI network.
Advancing self-reliance with refugees, not just for refugees
The statement offers an important contribution to ongoing conversations about how the 50 by 35 vision can translate into meaningful, lasting progress for displaced communities. It reinforces that sustainable self-reliance depends on enabling conditions, including access to decent work, education, financial services, legal documentation, social protection, and opportunities to participate in local markets and economies.
It also highlights the essential role of refugee-led organizations as partners in this work. Their proximity to communities and understanding of local priorities, barriers, and context-specific solutions position them to contribute to more responsive and inclusive approaches. Meaningful engagement must extend beyond consultation to include equal partnership, co-design, implementation, monitoring, and advocacy, supported by the resources and investment RLOs need to lead effectively.
As UNHCR and its partners work toward the 50 by 35 ambition, refugee leaders' and RLOs' perspectives are essential to defining what progress looks like, how it is measured, and whether it translates into greater agency, dignity, safety, resilience, and meaningful influence over decisions affecting refugees’ futures.
The RSRI welcomes this contribution from its RLO TWG and the collective effort behind it. The statement underscores a central message: lasting progress requires solutions built with refugees, grounded in their priorities, and supported by sustained investment in the conditions that make self-reliance possible.
The RSRI Refugee Leadership and Refugee-Led Organization (RLO) Engagement Technical Working Group (TWG) brings together refugee-led organizations and refugee leaders from across the RSRI network to develop technical tools, research, policy papers, and practical guidance on refugee self-reliance. The 2026 cohort includes 125 members committed to advancing refugee leadership and strengthening the role of RLOs in shaping self-reliance policy and practice.
For more information, please contact Mary Wangui, RLO TWG facilitator: rlogroup@refugeeselfreliance.org
