In December 2023, the initiative R‑Space marked a significant stride in refugee-led engagement: held from 12-15 December at Impact Hub Geneva in Geneva, the forum was entirely co-designed and governed by refugee-led organisations and brought together around 300 participants daily.

Over forty sessions were organised and delivered by refugees on issues they themselves prioritised—from funding for refugee-led organisations and digital inclusion to leadership development and refugee participation in governance.

Importantly, R-Space provided an alternative, more open space for meaningful dialogue than traditional state-driven forums. It emphasised that refugee-led spaces aren’t just side-events, but integral platforms for shifting power, shaping policy, and advancing solutions from the lived experience of refugees themselves