09/20/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/20/2024 06:24
"When world leaders gather at the United Nations Summit, they aim to adopt a Pact for the Future, along with a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration for Future Generations. The Summit offers a critical opportunity to move toward creating a more peaceful and fairer future where human rights are upheld for all - including refugees.
Over 120 million people in the world today are forcibly displaced owing to war, conflict, persecution, human rights violations and climate change impacts or related disasters - the highest number on record. This is the 12th consecutive year we have seen an increase in this dire statistic.
Most of the world's refugees (75 per cent) are generously hosted in low- and middle-income countries that also must contend with their own sustainable development challenges. Strengthened international solidarity with refugee-hosting countries, including financial support, is therefore crucial to help these host countries meet their sustainable development objectives, and fulfil protection commitments, including through greater inclusion of refugees in national health, education, and social safety net systems.
For their part, refugees can contribute significantly to sustainable development for the benefit of their host countries, when they are able to access equal opportunities.
The global community should therefore embrace and harness the enormous potential, skill, and talent that refugees are able to provide to their host countries.
In addition to enhanced refugee inclusion and support for host communities, we also call on governments and policy makers to focus on:
The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) 2023 offered a key opportunity to highlight the need for multilateral cooperation to respond to these critical issues, and we hope to see that global solidarity continue through expanded GRF commitments by Member States.
We must all collaborate to protect and uphold the rights of refugees as we strive to build a fair, inclusive, and equitable society."
The PIERR is currently composed of the:
For more information on the PIERR, please refer to the PIERR website.
The Platform is supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.