INEE25: Reflections From Our Partners and Community - UN Edition

In November 2025, the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), will celebrate its 25th anniversary, a significant milestone for a global network that unites over 25,000 members in the mission to ensure the right to a quality, safe, and relevant education for all those affected by emergencies and crises.  

This anniversary is both a celebration and a turning point. It marks 25 years of collective achievement and shared purpose, and is also a moment to look ahead. INEE is evolving to remain responsive to the changing needs of the sector, stepping forward not only as a convener but also as a credible disruptor – one that can challenge power structures and catalyse meaningful change.

As we mark this milestone, we also pause to reflect, not just on how far the network has come but on what it has meant to those who have shaped it. In this blog, we invited some of INEE’s key partners and long-time members to share their personal reflections on: what INEE has meant to them and their organizations, how the network can continue to add value as the sector evolves, and what their hopes are for INEE’s next 25 years. Together their reflections capture the spirit of INEE, a network built on collaboration, shared learning and a collective drive to ensure the right to a quality, safe, and relevant education for all those affected by emergencies and crises.  

Helena Murseli, Global Lead & Senior Advisor, Education in Emergencies, UNICEF

1. What does INEE mean to you personally?

INEE represents a global community of practice that has consistently championed the right to education in the most challenging contexts. Personally, it has been a source of inspiration and solidarity—a space where practitioners, policymakers, and researchers come together to uphold education as a life-saving and life-sustaining intervention. INEE has helped shape my own journey in Education in Emergencies (EiE), offering both technical guidance and a shared vision for equity and inclusion. When I was first deployed with UNICEF as an Education Specialist based in Bossangoa, Central African Republic—many years ago—I found it incredibly helpful to rely on resources from INEE, particularly those related to community teachers.

2. How has your organization engaged with INEE over the years?

UNICEF has been a longstanding and active member of INEE, contributing to its strategic direction, technical working groups, and advocacy efforts. We’ve collaborated on key initiatives such as the Minimum Standards for Education, the development of EiE tools and guidance, and joint responses in crisis settings. INEE has also provided a platform for UNICEF to engage with partners, amplify voices from the field, and co-create solutions that are contextually relevant and evidence based.

3. What stands out to you as INEE’s most important contribution to the EiE sector?

INEE’s most significant contribution is the establishment and adaptive  evolution of the Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies. These standards have become a cornerstone for quality and accountability in EiE programming globally. Beyond that, INEE’s convening power—bringing diverse actors together across humanitarian and development divides—has fostered collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to education as a human right. This is most needed in the current landscape and the humanitarian reset, as unfortunately, we need to keep advocating for education in emergency to be considered as a priority,  more than ever 

4. How can INEE continue to add value as the sector evolves?

As the EiE sector faces protracted crises, climate-induced displacement, overlapping crisis that affect learning continuity and digital transformation, INEE can continue to add value by:

• Bridging humanitarian-development divides through integrated approaches and cross-sectoral collaboration including mainstreaming EiE into sector plans and strategies
• Investing in evidence and knowledge  generation  to inform policy and practice.
• Championing inclusive education, especially for marginalized groups such as children with disabilities, girls, and children on the move

5. Looking ahead, what is your one hope or wish for INEE’s next 25 years?

My hope is that INEE continues to be a bold and inclusive network—one that not only adapts to the changing landscape but also leads it. I wish for INEE to deepen its impact at the country level, ensuring that every child affected by crisis has access to safe, quality, and inclusive education. I also hope INEE continues to play a key role , as it does, as  the convener for all actors in the community.

Fareeda Miah, Senior Education Officer, UNHCR

1. What does INEE mean to you personally?

INEE has always been my first port of call for anything related to Education in Emergencies. It has shaped my growth as an EiE practitioner, from using the INEE Minimum Standards for technical guidance to spending countless hours with colleagues contextualizing and delivering teacher training using the Teachers in Crisis Contexts resources. Beyond the tools and standards, what I value most has been the community. INEE has been a space for collaboration, reflection, and joint problem-solving, especially as we navigate the complex challenges of our sector. For me, INEE represents more than a network; it’s a collective commitment to ensuring every learner, no matter their circumstances, has access to safe, quality, and inclusive education.

2. How has your organization engaged with INEE over the years?

UNHCR has been an active member of INEE for many years, contributing to strategic planning, technical guidance, and advocacy to improve education outcomes in emergencies and protracted crisis contexts. A key area of engagement has been through the INEE Accelerated Education Working Group (AEWG), where UNHCR’s support has strengthened the quality, coherence, and scale of Accelerated Education globally. This collaboration has advanced global understanding of effective Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) and supported governments and partners to expand access to certified, flexible learning pathways for displaced and crisis-affected learners. UNHCR also co-leads the Initiative for Strengthening Education in Emergencies Coordination (ISEEC) alongside INEE, the Global Education Cluster and UNESCO. Through this partnership we aim to improve coordination across humanitarian and development systems by promoting shared approaches, structured collaboration, and joint capacity building, ultimately improving education outcomes for crisis-affected children and youth through more coherent, connected, and effective education sector responses.

3. What stands out to you as INEE’s most important contribution to the EiE sector?

INEE’s most important contribution to the Education in Emergencies (EiE) sector is its ability to connect, convene, and catalyse collective action across diverse actors and contexts. By bringing together practitioners, governments, local organisations, and global partners, INEE has fostered a more coherent and collaborative EiE ecosystem grounded in the lived realities of learners and teachers. Over the years, it has evolved from being a standard-setter to an inclusive, multi-level network that strengthens regional and national ownership and encourages critical reflection on shared challenges.

4. How can INEE continue to add value as the sector evolves?

INEE’s strength lies in turning its diverse membership into a collective engine of solidarity and problem-solving, ensuring education in emergencies is sustained and relevant to all. As the sector evolves, INEE can continue to add value by connecting actors, amplifying local voices, engaging governments, and championing inclusive education for all children across humanitarian, development, and global agendas.

In refugee-hosting contexts, INEE can continue to support the shift from parallel systems to integrating refugee learners into national education systems, a globally endorsed goal under the Global Compact on Refugees agreed upon by governments, donors, and partners. Inclusion ensures access to accredited learning, system-wide investment in classrooms, teachers, and materials, and strengthens education for both refugee and host community students. Central to this approach is a focus on equity, placing the needs of the most marginalised learners at the heart of planning, programming, and accountability. By proactively leveraging its network, INEE can drive innovation, influence policy, and ensure that no child is left behind in crisis-affected contexts.

5. Looking ahead, what is your one hope or wish for INEE’s next 25 years?

My hope for INEE’s next 25 years is that it continues to evolve as a dynamic, inclusive network that bridges local realities and global action to ensure all children, especially refugee children and youth, can access quality, accredited education. INEE’s greatest strength lies in its ability to connect actors, amplify local leadership, and drive coherence across humanitarian and development systems. Building on our strong collaboration, I hope UNHCR and INEE continue to champion refugee education by remaining responsive, innovative, and grounded in the lived experiences of teachers and learners, and INEE can continue to lead the global movement for equitable, resilient, and transformative education.
 

The reflections above remind us that INEE’s strength has always come from its people, and the collective energy, commitment and expertise of our members. We’re grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey, and we invite all members of our community to keep shaping what’s next.