Over 740,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since the summer of 2017, prompting global concerns about the humanitarian situation. Against this backdrop, last December the United Nations’ Global Compact on Refugees was endorsed, providing a blueprint for host communities to get the support they need, and for refugees to lead productive lives. Despite the compact being billed as a game-changer, almost a year later it appears to feature little in the response.
The first-ever Global Refugee Forum will take place in Geneva next week. To contribute to those discussions, the Humanitarian Policy Group and the British Red Cross have just released new research that sheds light on how the compact could better inform the response. This same research also reveals six key lessons for improving implementation of the compact globally.
1. Clarify the refugee compact’s scope and purpose
Interviewees repeatedly raised questions about the lack of defined scope and clarity around the compact, in particular how it can be used in contexts like Bangladesh that are not part of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. Some respondents felt that the compact was simply a means to mobilise resources. Others referred to it as a diplomatic or accountability tool. Some flexibility can be good, but the compact cannot be all things to all people. Clarity is needed on its primary goals.
