Press Releases

Pre-meeting for the 2nd Global Refugee Forum

November 27, 2023
(Photo) Participants of the pre-meeting for the 2nd Global Refugee Forum (GRF)
Mr. ENDO, Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, speaks at the pre-meeting of the 2nd Global Refugee Forum

On the afternoon of November 27, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted a pre-meeting for the 2nd Global Refugee Forum (GRF) at the United Nations University, where representatives from international organizations, NGOs, private companies and groups gathered together.
This pre-meeting was held as part of the "Whole-of-Society Approach" to address the issue of refugees and displaced persons by involving an entire society under the collaboration of various stakeholders. The participants shared information and fostered a common understanding on the status of preparations for the 2nd GRF.

  1. Mr. ENDO Kazuya, Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made opening remarks by stating that the GRF will be held at a time when the international community is facing a serious humanitarian crisis, and that the Japanese government, not only as one of the co-conveners of the GRF but also as the G7 presidency and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), would like to take this opportunity to strengthen solidarity among the international community under the principle of "human security" and our unity to solve the issues of refugees and displaced persons.
  2. The participants then respectively explained the status of preparation for the forum. The participant from Japanese government stated that Japan has launched the "Humanitarian, Development, and Peace (HDP) Nexus" as a multi-stakeholder pledge and we would like to broaden the circle of cooperation by inviting a wide range of supporters.
  3. The participants also concurred to continue to deepen cooperation among the stakeholders in Japan.

(Reference1) Global Refugee Forum
The Global Refugee Forum is a follow-up meeting to the Global Compact on Refugees, led by UNHCR. It is a forum where refugee, host countries, donor countries, international organizations, and others from around the world gather together to share their efforts to resolve refugee issues and to present future policy contributions. The 2nd Global Refugee Forum is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, December 13-15, 2023, co-hosted by UNHCR and Switzerland and co-convened by Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan and Uganda.

(Reference2)

  1. HDP Nexus: In parallel with humanitarian assistance, the approach is to provide development cooperation to enhance refugee self-reliance and reduce the burden on host countries, and also to address the root causes of refugee issues by promoting peace efforts to resolve and prevent conflicts.
  2. The Global Compact on Refugees: Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018 as a new international framework for refugee assistance as a response to the increasing number of refugees and displaced persons. It aims to (a) ease the pressures on host countries, (b) enhance refugee self-reliance, (c) expand access to third country solutions and (d) support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.

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