UN Chief Antonio Guterres stressed that resources to support refugees are “under enormous strain”, especially in the Global South which bears a disproportionate amount of the burden…reports Asian Lite News
While some of the world’s poorest countries are welcoming refugees “with great hospitality”, the international community must match that generosity with far greater solidarity, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.
Speaking at the closing of the Global Refugee Forum, which ran from 13th to 15th December, the UN Secretary-General said that protection and help for these most vulnerable of people, was “an obligation shared by all of humanity”.
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He was speaking after three days of intensive activity geared towards finding solutions and building partnerships, which saw pledges from multiple stakeholders that have the potential to generate “a bright burst of light” for the millions displaced worldwide.
Guterres stressed that resources to support refugees are “under enormous strain”, especially in the Global South which bears a disproportionate amount of the burden.
He noted it had been a year of “intense political division, conflict and climate catastrophe”, which has pushed record numbers of people to flee.
“From the Sahel to Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen – to the DRC, Myanmar and Somalia – to the utter devastation we are witnessing in Gaza,” he emphasised that “humanitarian nightmares” had created and exacerbated the displacement of 114 million people during the year, 36 million of whom are refugees.
Guterres asked not to forget that the statistics represent real people with legitimate hopes and dreams: women and men with skills and ideas, children with plans and ambitions.
These are people, he underscored, who have the same rights to safety, food, water, shelter and dignity.
And as the refugees deserve every chance at a better future, protection and support should not be a lottery, or a disproportionate burden that falls on a few countries and communities based on geography.
“It is an obligation shared by all of humanity,” he declared in his remarks.
Guterres praised the commitments made by stakeholders, saying that they “breathe life into the great promise of the Global Compact on Refugees not only to support refugees, but to ease pressure on host countries and tackle the systemic issues that cause people to flee in the first place”.
Pledges for the common good
Among the key pledges made were commitments to resettlement and community sponsorship.
Countries agreed to resettle one million refugees by 2030, supported by a new global sponsorship fund. This fund aims to assist an additional three million refugees in accessing third countries through innovative community sponsorship schemes.
Refugee participation took centre stage, with more than 100 organisations committed to promoting meaningful engagement by including refugees on governing boards and involving them in decisions that directly impact their lives.
This move is seen as a crucial step toward recognising and leveraging the valuable perspectives and contributions of those displaced.
“By rallying around the needs of refugees at this Forum, you are all providing a bright burst of light in what has been a dark and troubling year,” the UN Secretary-General summed up the Forum’s work, encouraging its participants to continue matching the courage and resilience of every refugee with a steadfast commitment to helping them rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
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