What is the Global Compact on Refugees?
The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation. It provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that host communities get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives.
Its four key objectives are to:
- Ease the pressures on host countries
- Enhance refugee self-reliance
- Expand access to third-country solutions
- Support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity
How did the the Global Compact on Refugees start?
The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants was a milestone for global solidarity and refugee protection at a time of unprecedented displacement. Following its adoption by UN Member States in September 2016, its Annex I – the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) – was rolled out in more than a dozen of countries across the globe.
In parallel, in the course of the two years that followed the adoption of the New York Declaration, extensive consultations were led by UNHCR with Member States, international organizations, refugees, civil society, the private sector, and experts, drawing lessons from the application of the CRRF. This process culminated in the affirmation by UN Member States of the GCR in December 2018.