20 September 2016: Participants at the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, convened by US President Barack Obama, heard announcements of pledges for approximately US$650 from companies, called for long-term solutions to the ongoing refugee crisis, and committed to working together to develop the proposed Global Compact on Responsibility Sharing for Refugees.

The half-day summit took place on the margins of the 71st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US, following on the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants that took place the day before, on 19 September. The Governments of Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico, Sweden and the US co-hosted the Summit, in which 50 countries participated.

In a joint statement, the Summit hosts call on the international community to increase funding for humanitarian assistance, offer opportunities for refugee resettlement and alternative forms of legal admissions, and facilitate refugees’ access to education and lawful employment. They highlight that their efforts during the course of 2016 have already garnered an increase of US$4.5 billion in humanitarian funding over the 2015 level, and urge all governments to do more in the years ahead.

They commended the work of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for their creation of the ‘Emerging Resettlement Countries Joint Support Mechanism,’ which will help countries newly offering to take in refugees to develop systems for welcoming and supporting them upon arrival. They also welcomed the work of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in setting up the ‘Education Cannot Wait’ fund for education in emergencies, and the World Bank’s establishment of the Global Crisis Response Platform, which will provide grants and loans to low and middle-income countries hosting large numbers of refugees.

The joint statement highlighted that at least 17 governments involved in the Summit have committed to strengthening and adapting their policies so that more refugees can attend school or lawfully work.

In his remarks, Obama noted that many of the world’s refugees come from just three countries – Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. He highlighted the situation of the low and middle-income countries that host the majority of the world’s refugees, including Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran and Ethiopia, calling on all nations “to share in our collective responsibilities.” He welcomed the work of Mexico, Sweden, Germany and Canada in providing support for refugees. Obama deplored the ongoing violence in Syria, calling the crisis a test of the international community’s ability to end conflict. He urged all concerned to welcome refugees of all backgrounds and religions, and to uphold the values of pluralism and diversity.

The Leaders’ Summit included a CEO Roundtable Event. In a press release issued on the day of the Summit, the US White House announced that 51 companies from the US economy had made aid commitments with a total value of US$650 million, which will support more than 6.3 million refugees in more than 20 countries, provide education for more than 80,000 refugees, offer employment opportunities through training, mentoring and job placements, and partner with more than 70 NGOs that work directly with refugees. [Joint Statement from Leaders’ Summit] [US President’s Remarks to Leaders’ Summit] [US Presidents’ Remarks to CEO Roundtable Event] [White House Press Release]