17 December 2018 – Jesuit Refugee Service/USA welcomes today’s endorsement of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) by nearly all member states during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. The GCR marks an historic step forward in addressing the critical protection needs of the more than 68 million refugees and other forcibly displaced persons around the world.

JRS has strongly supported the GCR and will continue to stand alongside refugees, their hosts and the larger global community in putting into practice the protection measures that the GCR outlines. Only through collaboration and contributions from all actors, will be we able to make significant strides towards fully realizing a world in which refugee rights are protected and sustainable solutions are enacted.

“The GCR provides a framework through which we must all work together to generate international support and responsibility-sharing to improve the lives of millions of refugees,” says Giulia McPherson, Director of Advocacy at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.

To ensure effective implementation of the GCR, member states must invest in medium- and long-term development approaches to the humanitarian needs of forcibly displaced persons; invest in economic and infrastructure growth within host communities; and share the financial burden and other costs among all countries.

Rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church that call us to welcome and protect refugees and migrants, we are pleased that the GCR also emphasizes the critical role that faith-based organizations play in refugee response efforts, in particular in the areas of conflict prevention, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.

JRS/USA urges the United States to maintain its leadership in by supporting implementation of the GCR. As the world’s largest provider of resources to humanitarian assistance efforts, the U.S. plays a critical role in bridging the gap between humanitarian and development actors and developing innovative solutions to these challenging problems.

“We look forward to continuing to work together with partners, donors and the people we serve in over 50 countries to create a better world for us all,” says Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. We commit to sharing this responsibility as we work to translate these global commitments into real change for refugees around the world.