Refugee crisis:
Global leaders call on countries to protect migrants’ human rights.
UNITED NATIONS — With more people forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II, global leaders approved a declaration Monday intended to provide a more coordinated and humane response to the refugee crisis that has strained resources and stoked divisions from Africa to Europe.
The issue of what to do about the world’s 65.3 million displaced people took center stage at the U.N. General Assembly with leaders from the 193 member states converging on New York for the first summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants.
“The bitter truth is this summit was called because we have been largely failing. Failing the long-suffering people of Syria, in not ending the war in its infancy. Failing others in now chronic conflict zones, for the same reason. Failing millions of migrants who deserve far more than lives marked by cradleto-grave indignity and desperation,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Zeid praised the political consensus reached in approving the New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees, but warned against complacency and self-congratulation.
He said xenophobia is a major factor contributing to failure thus far.
“We can change this ... but not when the defenders of what is right and good are being outflanked in too many countries by race-baiting bigots, who seek to gain, or retain, power by wielding prejudice and deceit, at the expense of those most vulnerable,” Zeid said.
The declaration makes no concrete commitments and is not legally binding but rather calls on countries to protect refugees’ human rights, boost humanitarian aid and increase resettlement of refugees.
“Today’s summit represents a breakthrough in our collective efforts to address the challenges of human mobility,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, adding that the declaration will mean “more children can attend school; more workers can securely seek jobs abroad, instead of being at the mercy criminal smugglers, and more people will have real choices about whether to move once we end conflict.”
The document seeks to standardize responses to refugee situations and provide better education and jobs to refugees. It also encourages resettlement and includes plans for a campaign to combat xenophobia.
The declaration comes at a time that refugees and migrants have become a divisive issue in Europe and the United States.