PROSPECTS partnership
A groundbreaking approach to forced displacement.
Today’s protracted displacement crises demand a fresh approach. This means all involved – humanitarian and development organizations, governments, the private sector, and forcibly displaced persons and their host communities – are meaningfully engaged as partners in creating solutions.
Forced displacement is increasingly protracted and disproportionately affects children, who make up 40 per cent of refugees worldwide.
PROSPECTS is a groundbreaking partnership, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, that unites the International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organization (ILO), UNHCR, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Our collective goal is to improve the lives of forcibly displaced people and their host communities.
PROSPECTS partners collaborate closely with host governments to boost the resilience of these communities. We do this by enhancing access to rights, strengthening inclusive national systems, supporting youth through education and employment pathways, and fostering stronger social cohesion.
Launched in 2019, the programme operates across eight countries in the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, and the Horn of Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda. After a successful first phase, a second phase (2024-2027) is now underway, focusing on education, economic opportunity, protection, and critical infrastructure.
Under PROSPECTS, UNICEF helps provide inclusive learning, child protection, social protection, and essential water and sanitation services for displaced and host community children and youth. We leverage our complementary strengths with partners, ensuring more coordinated and sustainable solutions for children and youth affected by displacement. With UNHCR, we strengthen national systems to include refugee and displaced children in education and child protection. With ILO, we help young people transition from education to employment by building skills and creating opportunities. Through the World Bank and IFC, we engage the private sector to strengthen labour markets and promote inclusive job access.
From learning to earning
Impact at a glance
Beyond direct service delivery, PROSPECTS strengthens national systems and supports policy reform to create lasting change beyond project cycles. By working with national and local governments through a systems-level approach to integrate displaced populations into education, child protection, and social services, the partnership helps scale solutions and ensure long-term impact for both displaced and host communities.
Since 2019, PROSPECTS has:
Stories of hope
Resources
Inclusion of forcibly displaced persons within national social protection systems
Prospects-powered solutions: Testing and scaling new approaches to forced displacement
Strengthening inclusive social protection systems for displaced children and their families
Skills for a green transition: Solutions for youth on the move