The Global Protection Cluster’s End of Year Event, entitled ‘On the Frontlines: Insights into the State of Protection in 2021’, will highlight the urgency and showcase the impact of protection work in complex crisis contexts around the world. The event will serve to launch the Global Protection Cluster’s annual Review of the Centrality of Protection, which includes tangible findings into how the protection of crisis affected civilians is being implemented across the humanitarian system and where the gaps are in terms of meeting the protection needs of people amidst growing crises globally. The event will also feature a panel discussion with three national protection changemakers who will speak to the dynamic protection work they are respectively leading in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen. They will also share their ‘calls to action’ for the global community as to what is needed to further accelerate impact and strengthen the rights of crisis affected communities. The event will be moderated by the refugee youth activist Aya Abdullah and it will feature remarks and commitments from Gillian Triggs, Assistant High Commissioner for UNHCR, William Chemaly, the Global Protection Cluster’s Coordinator, a number of national Protection Cluster Coordinators, donor Government representatives and other protection champions.
This event will bring to the forefront critical debates and dialogue on the state of protection in 2021. Importantly, it will also drive collective reflection in terms of how humanitarian and protection actors, from local to global levels, can rise together to meet the growing protection challenges communities face around the world as conflict, crisis and displacement continue at staggering levels.
Coming on the eve of the launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview, this event shifts the spotlight to national protection leaders while helping to set the direction for protection efforts for the year ahead.
The event will bring to a close the Global Protection Forum, a series of webinars and sessions spread across the year of 2021, that have examined contemporary and emerging protection challenges from the wide-ranging perspectives of protection service providers and specialists, humanitarian, peace and development partners, academics, donors and Member States.
