How Can Business Help Tackle the Refugee Crisis?

UNHCR_summit

This week the United Nations (UN) is hosting its first high-level summit in response to the global refugee crisis unfolding across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 60 million people, including 19.5 million refugees, have been displaced by conflict in 2015. The UN summit will focus on government efforts to diminish the suffering of people forced to flee conflict and support solutions for the resulting widespread societal disruption. The role of the private sector in tackling the refugee crisis should not be understated.

Companies of all sizes and from all sectors have already pledged to respond to the refugee crisis through a series of initiatives – from funding campaigns to delivering essential training programs. USCIB’s global network is encouraging companies to do more where they can, based on their own assets and capabilities.

“This is an important moment for expanding private-sector involvement in tackling the short- and long-term impacts of mass migration,” said John Danilovich, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). “We are committed to working with governments to help mobilize private sector resources and expertise in addressing the global refugee crisis.”

Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s senior counsel, addressed the summit on behalf of the International Organization of Employers (IOE), taking part in a roundtable dialogue on safe migration. USCIB played an instrumental role in in establishing the private sector mechanism at the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

“Employers regard migration as a necessary and positive phenomenon,” Goldberg said. “We believe our participation will help governments understand how migration policies and practices affect business operations, as well as enable private-sector representatives to actively contribute to migration policy debates by contributing their extensive experience and expertise on migration issues.”

Read more on ICC’s website.

 

Staff Contact:   Ewa Staworzynska

Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
Tel: 212.703.5056

Ewa Staworzynska is USCIB’s Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs. Staworzynska brings to USCIB her extensive policy experience from both public and private sectors. Prior to joining USCIB, she led DoorDash’s policy efforts in international markets and was in charge of diplomatic relations. Before her position at DoorDash, Staworzynska was an officer at the International Labor Organization (ILO), where she worked multilaterally to advance support for decent work and related policies at UN headquarters. Staworzynska began her career in New York working for a real estate start-up. Staworzynska will be based in USCIB’s New York office and will work with Jose Arroyo, USCIB policy associate on corporate responsibility and labor affairs, on a wide range of issues, including human rights and industrial policy, responsible business conduct, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She was born and raised in Norway and has a B.A. in Economics and M.A. in International Relations, with a specialty in International Business, from New York University.
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