Uganda has urged governments and international partners to turn refugee-support pledges into concrete results, warning that mounting pressure on host countries and uncertain funding are testing the international system for protecting displaced people.
Addressing the 77th Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Uganda’s Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Sam Engola, called for stronger international cooperation, predictable support for host countries and greater accountability for commitments made to refugees.
His appeal comes as the international community marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, a cornerstone of the international framework for refugee protection.
Engola said the principles underpinning the Refugee Convention were under increasing strain as displacement crises became more complex and protracted.
He warned that international solidarity and multilateral cooperation were being tested at a time when refugee-hosting countries faced growing demands amid an uncertain funding environment.
“As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, we do so at a moment when the principles it embodies are under acute strain,” he said.
The minister’s remarks highlighted a central challenge facing the international refugee response: ensuring that responsibility for protecting displaced people is matched by adequate financial and practical support for the countries hosting them.
Engola called for renewed efforts to translate international commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of refugees and host communities.
He described the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) as a framework for turning international responsibility-sharing into practical support for displaced people and the countries that receive them.
“As Global Refugee Forum 2023 co-convenors and co-hosts—Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan, Switzerland, Uganda, and UNHCR—we reaffirm the importance of this framework and the need to use it with renewed purpose,” Hon. Engola stated.
He stressed that the success of the framework should be judged by its results rather than the number of commitments announced.
“Pledges are not an end in themselves; they must be matched with adequate resources, translated into implementation, and assessed by the results they deliver for displaced persons and host communities,” he said.
He called for commitments to be backed by adequate resources and effective implementation. He also emphasised the need to strengthen national systems, expand opportunities for refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and advance lasting solutions for displaced populations. The minister highlighted the importance of nationally led approaches that integrate refugee needs into wider development plans and public service systems.
He cited Ethiopia’s Makatet initiative and Kenya’s Shirika Plan as examples of approaches associated with refugee inclusion and the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees.
He also referred to the 50 by 35 vision and UNHCR-mandated operations as part of broader efforts to advance refugee inclusion and strengthen support for host countries.
Engola’s position was that international cooperation should reinforce national priorities while creating greater opportunities for refugees to participate in their host communities and build self-reliant lives.
Looking towards the next Global Refugee Forum in 2027, Engola urged governments, humanitarian organisations and development partners to use the intervening period to assess progress and prepare commitments that respond to the scale of displacement.
He outlined four priorities for the international community. First, governments and other stakeholders should fulfil existing pledges and clearly demonstrate the difference they are making for refugees, stateless people, host communities and host countries.
Second, international partners should provide predictable financial, technical and material support based on the identified needs of host countries. This would require closer cooperation among governments, humanitarian agencies and development partners.
Third, refugees, stateless people and host communities should have a meaningful role in designing, implementing and monitoring policies that affect their lives. Fourth, stakeholders should engage actively in preparations for the 2027 Global Refugee Forum by reviewing progress, identifying priorities and developing commitments that are ambitious, realistic and responsive to the needs of displaced populations.
The preparations, Engola argued, should provide an opportunity to assess what has been achieved, identify gaps and strengthen accountability for commitments made.
Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to working with international partners to advance the Global Compact on Refugees and strengthen support for displaced populations and the communities hosting them.
As a co-convenor and co-host of the Global Refugee Forum process, Uganda pledged to continue working with stakeholders to turn international commitments into practical outcomes.
“The road to the 2027 Global Refugee Forum should be used to show that the GCR is not only a statement of solidarity, but a vehicle for concrete progress in the lives of people and communities affected by displacement,” Engola said.
He called for stronger political leadership and sustained cooperation to ensure that the international refugee framework delivers meaningful results.
“We therefore call for renewed political leadership, practical cooperation, and sustained engagement to ensure that the Global Compact on Refugees continues to deliver where it matters most: for refugees, host communities, and the countries that stand with them.”
