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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Kenya is a a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, the 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention, and has generously been providing a safe haven for refugees for decades. In October 2017, Kenya during the Executive Committee meeting expressed its commitment to apply principles of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) which aims to build the self-reliance of refugees and promote their socio-economic inclusion.
The UNHCR Kenya Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Strategic Directions (2020-2024) document, which is a strategy developed jointly with partners and also reflects the feedback from Government counterparts based on previous consultations, provides the framework and guidelines for UNHCR’s work and engagement, which will primarily focus on three areas: advocacy, coordination and mobilisation of various actors (civil society and NGO partners, UN agencies, international financial institutions, private sector and Government of Kenya) to include refugees into the national socio-economic fabric. The Strategic Directions are in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Goals 1 and 8) and the UNHCR global strategic approach for livelihoods and economic inclusion, Kenya’s Big Four Agenda, the Kampala Declaration on Jobs, Livelihoods and Self-reliance for Refugees, Returnees and Host Communities in the IGAD Region, KCRP (2019-2020), KISEDP, MYMP (2018-2020), the UNDAF (2019-2022) to provide a positive enabling environment.
The Strategic Directions are informed by recent and important evidence, such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) study (Kakuma as a Market Place)10, the ILO market assessment conducted in Dadaab11, the World Bank’s 2019 Desk Review on Livelihoods and Self-Reliance for Refugees and Host communities in Kenya and other related studies.