UNESCO Qualifications Passport
, only 7% of refugees have access to tertiary and higher education. In comparison, the figures for primary and secondary education are 65% and 42% respectively.
One of the key obstacles preventing refugees’ access to higher education and employment opportunities is a lack of recognition of their prior learning, qualifications and credentials. The UNESCO Qualifications Passport (UQP) is an innovative universal tool which aims to overcome this obstacle through recognizing the academic, professional and vocational qualifications of forcibly displaced individuals.
The UQP draws from the experiences and success of the , aiming to upscale the concept and ensure a global tool with a universally recognized quality assurance framework for evaluations.
Using recognition as an entry point, UNESCO works with national authorities and institutions to strengthen higher education ecosystems and promote the inclusion of displaced individuals in education and the labor market.
As the only UN agency with a mandate in higher education, and in line with Organization’s leadership on Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, UNESCO plays a central role in ensuring that all individuals, including crisis-affected populations, can access quality and inclusive tertiary and higher education.
The UQP is one of UNESCO’s flagship education initiatives contributing to the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It is currently being implemented in Zambia, Kenya and Uganda with plans for further expansion.
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