Press Release: Mayors deliver over 100 pledges to the 2023 UNHCR Global Refugee Forum through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees

The Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees is delivering over 100 pledges for refugee inclusion and protection to the 2023 UNHCR Global Refugee Forum. These 100 actions make a tangible difference to the lives of refugees and migrants and help the world rescue our global humanitarian and development goals.

Geneva, 12 December 2023 - Tomorrow, national governments, mayors, governors, and other stakeholders will meet in Geneva at the 2023 UNHCR Global Refugee Forum to discuss the implementation of the Global Refugee Compact.  15 mayors and governors will participate in the official programme of the Forum and will deliver over 100 people-centred and bold pledges collected through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.  Since the first Refugee Forum in 2019,  the Call to Local Action delivered over 120 pledges of which over 100 specifically serve refugees. 

The pledges will be formally delivered to UNHCR by a mayoral speaker in the GRF Plenary on 13 December at 15 CET (livestreamed here) and they will be discussed in detail at a GRF High Level Event: Solidarity in Cities: Learning from Mayors on Refugee Inclusion in Urban Areas, 15 December from 11 - 12.30 CET (livestreamed here). This event will mark the release of the Second Edition of the Report on Local Action for Migrants and Refugees. The report seeks to inspire cities, national governments and partners by highlighting local governments’ progress in implementing the Global Compacts to date and spotlighting the local pledges that have been collected so far. 

The full overview of the local government delegation, as well as specific programming at the GRF is available here. 

Read our full Press Release in three languages: