The fourth Africa Private Sector Forum on Displacement will take place in Addis Ababa from November 16 to 18. The event, convened by Amahoro Coalition, Inkomoko, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, will bring together business leaders, government officials, investors, and representatives of displaced communities. They will explore ways to expand economic opportunities for refugees and host communities across the continent.
Ethiopia, which hosts more than 1.2 million refugees, has taken significant steps to support refugee integration and access to employment and business opportunities. In 2019, the country adopted Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019, granting recognized refugees and asylum seekers the legal right to engage in wage-earning employment and self-employment. The proclamation provides a framework for refugee integration and access to basic services.
Across Africa, an estimated 45 million people are affected by displacement, highlighting the need for sustainable economic inclusion. The forum, themed “The Next Act: Creating a More Inclusive Economic Ecosystem,” will focus on expanding employment, investment, enterprise development, and policies that enable displaced people and host communities to participate more fully in African economies.
The three-day gathering will bring together people with lived experience of displacement, including entrepreneurs, workers, and community leaders, alongside employers, investors, and policymakers. Discussions will draw on research and existing initiatives to identify ways to expand successful models and strengthen partnerships between businesses, investors, and governments.
The program will take place at two venues in the Ethiopian capital: Africa Hall at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum. The museum will also feature a marketplace where businesses led by displaced people and members of host communities can showcase and sell their products. Ethiopia-based refugee-led organization “Tomorrow is Better” is partnering with the organizers on the forum and marketplace.
Ethiopian organizations and entrepreneurs are expected to contribute local perspectives and showcase their businesses alongside participants from across Africa. The fourth edition builds on previous forums held in Kigali in 2021, Accra in 2023, and Nairobi in 2025. This year’s gathering will place greater emphasis on expanding employment pathways, developing investment models, strengthening enterprise partnerships, and promoting policy reforms that support economic participation.
The event aims to create a more inclusive economic ecosystem for displaced people and host communities. Key outcomes are expected to include practical approaches to economic inclusion, successful models, and strengthened partnerships between businesses, investors, and governments. The forum will also highlight the importance of policy reforms that support economic participation.
Key points
- The fourth Africa Private Sector Forum on Displacement will focus on expanding employment, investment, enterprise development, and policies that enable displaced people and host communities to participate more fully in African economies.
- Ethiopia has taken significant steps to support refugee integration and access to employment and business opportunities.
- The forum aims to create a more inclusive economic ecosystem for displaced people and host communities.
