UNHCR Europe - Community of Practice for Municipalities

2025 - ongoing

UNHCR Europe’s new Community of Practice for Leaders of Refugee-Hosting Municipalities

To strengthen the capacities of municipal governments and local actors to support refugee inclusion and integration, last October 2024, UNHCR’s Europe Bureau and country operations held a workshop with 35 municipal leaders from 13 countries dedicated to this topic. Participants strategised on areas of pressing concern, including access to long-term funding, affordable housing solutions and effective multistakeholder coordination on refugee integration and inclusion. Development actors, housing stakeholders, the private sector and other regional bodies also joined to support the analysis and development of proposals for solutions. See the full workshop report here.  

Feedback following the event revealed a strong interest in future events and online exchanges, along with access to opportunities to make further connections and to ongoing information on financing opportunities and strategic partnerships in support of refugee inclusion. UNHCR is therefore setting up this online community of practice (CoP) to facilitate this ongoing exchange and expand the network into all countries where it is currently engaging with municipal actors.

Concretely, UNHCR will host periodic thematic sessions with experts and key stakeholders, provide a tool for easy information sharing, and grow a network that fosters innovative multi-city partnerships and collaborations in favour of more refugee-inclusive towns and cities.