Recommendation 2

HM Government Accepted

We accept the committee’s recommendations. We agree with the committee that the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) is a key opportunity for the international community to push further on implementing the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). We consider its objectives of easing pressure on host communities, improving refugee self-reliance, expanding access to resettlement, and supporting conditions for return in safety and dignity as the best framework to address rising global displacement and ensure refugees are supported to remain in the regions they are currently hosted rather than being driven to migrate irregularly towards Europe. We agree the UK government should use its diplomatic relations with co-hosts, co-convenors, and other refugee host countries to develop effective and measurable pledges. We used our diplomatic network to bring together a broad range of stakeholders at a Wilton Park conference ‘Towards the Global Refugee Forum 2023’ to identify how the international community can deliver an impactful GRF, including through the development of pledges. An invite was extended to the committee. We hosted the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Switzerland as co-hosts, GRF co-convenor states, the World Bank, various UN agencies, donor and refugee host countries, refugee leaders, private sector, and other experts. The UK is considering pledges related to supporting access to education for refugee and host community children, tackling gender-based violence in refugee settings, expanding access to climate finance for refugee host countries, and highlighting our domestic refugee resettlement and integration activities as part of our burden and responsibility sharing. We will announce our pledges at the GRF in December.