Second phase of the PROSPECTS partnership in Iraq, 1 OCT

 Launch of the second phase of the PROSPECTS partnership in Iraq The Government of Iraq has officially launched the second phase of the PROSPECTS partnership in Iraq, which is funded and led by the Netherlands Government.

With a total investment of 46 million USD over four years, this project aims to offer refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and vulnerable host communities in Iraq comprehensive social support. In close collaboration with Iraqi authorities, the program is being carried out by five organizations: UNHCR, UNICEF, ILO, IFC, and the World Bank.

Senior members of the Iraqi government, including members of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the Netherlands Embassy, PROSPECTS partners, and youth representatives from both the refugee and host communities, attended the launch event in Baghdad.

H.E. Dr. Ahmed Saad, the Minister of Youth and Sports, stated:

“By providing Iraq’s young people and the most vulnerable population with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed, the PROSPECTS program is an essential initiative.” We are building a brighter, more sustainable future where every young person can contribute to the country’s development by working with our partners.”

Ms. Zakya Salih Abdulkhaleq, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the KRG, emphasized the program’s impact on youth employment and vocational training. According to the statement, “The PROSPECTS Partnership in KRI created job opportunities and provided vocational training for youth, which contributed to the reduction of unemployment in the region.”

“Because it supports the establishment of a comprehensive social protection system in the region, KRG considers the Cash Transfer Project under PROSPECTS for poor and vulnerable households and individuals in Duhok governorate to be a strategic project for the region.”

The Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Iraq, Her Excellency Janet Alberda, made the following comment:

“In the first phase of the PROSPECTS partnership, we achieved excellent results, but this crucial work must be continued. We need to make sure that all of the displaced communities in Iraq receive real, long-lasting solutions. People should be able to choose where they want to live on their own, bringing with them the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they’ve gained along the way.

The Netherlands’ flagship PROSPECTS program promotes increased collaboration between humanitarian, development, and private sector actors to support Iraq’s long-term stability, demonstrating the country’s substantial commitment to the humanitarian-development nexus. The first phase’s accomplishments, which included enrolling nearly 4,000 displaced children in secondary education, providing microfinance loans to over 130 refugee entrepreneurs, and providing vital civil documentation to over 45,000 IDPs, are built upon in the second phase.

From 2024 to 2027, the PROSPECTS Partnership’s second phase will concentrate on four main pillars:

The goal of the Protection and Social Protection pillar is to make sure that all refugees, internally displaced people, children, and people at risk of becoming stateless, even those with complicated cases, can get their basic civil documents. Legal assistance will be provided to refugees and asylum seekers to ensure their access to asylum and prevent refoulement, and legal assistance will be provided to IDPs and IDP returnees to access civil documentation. Additionally, this will aim to strengthen legal frameworks to better protect individuals at risk of statelessness, refugees, and asylum seekers.
The Education and Learning pillar will strive to provide refugee children, particularly the most vulnerable (girls and children with disabilities), with access to a high-quality education comparable to that of students in the local community. It will also aim to equip young people with the necessary skills for entry into the labor market.
Through enabling policies and mechanisms, the Employment with Dignity pillar will concentrate on providing displaced people and their host communities with access to decent jobs and economic opportunities.
The Critical Infrastructure pillar will try to restore infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed by the conflict, like schools’ water and sanitation facilities.
Iraq is home to over 324,000 refugees, 87% of whom reside in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), as well as over one million internally displaced people, 134,000 of whom are residing in 21 IDP camps in the KR-I. Although Iraq has made significant advancements in terms of stability and development, it is still essential to continue working with partners in order to guarantee a prosperous future for all of its citizens. The second phase of PROSPECTS will make sure that refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities get long-term solutions. This will give them the freedom to choose their own futures and use the skills and opportunities they’ve learned through the program.

The commitment of all parties involved was reaffirmed at the launch event to continue providing long-term, measurable solutions for Iraq’s most vulnerable populations.

The PROSPECTS program is one component of a larger global initiative that is being carried out in eight nations that host refugees in the Middle East, North Africa, East and Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes regions.