31.03.2016 - An international meeting in Geneva on the plight of Syrian refugees concluded on 30 March with new offers of resettlement places and other forms of humanitarian admission places by Member States.
In his closing remarks, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi spoke of the conference having achieved "a clear recognition of the need for solidarity and responsibility-sharing for refugees". But he also reminded delegates of the wider global displacement context and the immense challenges ahead, including finding a political settlement for Syria, and dealing with ongoing displacement and secondary flows from conflicts elsewhere.
He continued. "The solidarity required is a global one. The collective effort of many states, and many actors within states, is essential."
He said progress was seen on Wednesday in six areas:
UNHCR estimates that at least 10% of the 4.8 million refugees in countries neighbouring Syria will need resettling or other humanitarian aid to safely move elsewhere before the end of 2018.
The conference, chaired by UNHCR and attended by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, is one of several key events in 2016 centred on Syria's refugees. It follows February's London Conference on Syria, which focused on the financial dimensions of the humanitarian challenge, and this conference comes in the run up to September's summit on refugees to be held at the General Assembly meeting.
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