UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. A banner from the 'Everyone Counts' campaign exhibited in La Salle des Pas Perdu at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Office at Geneva.
© UNHCR/Roger Arnold

High-Level Officials Meeting

Reflecting on progress and charting the future

Success under the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) is assessed in terms of progress towards the achievement of its four objectives. The main vehicles for follow-up and review under the GCR include the Global Refugee Forums (GRF) held every four years, High-Level Officials Meeting held two years after each GRF, the biennial GCR indicator report and the High Commissioner’s annual reporting to the General Assembly.

The first Global Refugee Forum was held in 2019, and the first High-Level Officials Meeting will take place on 14 and 15 December 2021 at the International Conference Centre (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland. 

What is the High-Level Officials Meeting?

The High-Level Officials Meeting is part of the process of building a long-term framework for engagement of States and other actors in refugee situations, as set out in the Global Compact on Refugees. It is a dynamic moment and milestone in implementing this approach.  

The event will be an opportunity for senior government officials and representatives of relevant stakeholder groups to take stock of progress and maintain the momentum towards achieving the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). Participants will identify progress, challenges and where further engagement is needed to increase support, self-reliance and access to solutions for refugees, taking into consideration the challenges posed by the pandemic. 

The international community will:  

Take stock of efforts towards easing the pressure on countries hosting the largest populations of refugees, including through support for additional instruments and programmes for refugees and host communities. This support is also crucial for the national arrangements and refugee responses that are coordinated across government sectors and other stakeholder groups, which are central to the approach set out in the GCR.  

Consider the extent to which refugees have been able to achieve self-reliance and how they and their host communities are faring economically. Self-reliance requires that refugees have access to jobs, livelihoods, and educational opportunities and that they are included in national systems. This enables them to participate in the social and economic life of their host communities and contribute to rebuilding their countries should they be able to return.  

Recognizing that many endeavours to facilitate solutions have been delayed by travel and other restrictions during the pandemic, the HLOM will be an opportunity to review where efforts have continued or been adapted. It will also review what more is needed both to advance third-country solutions addressed in the three-year strategy on resettlement and complementary pathways and to support conditions in countries of origin for sustainable voluntary return in safety and dignity.  

Priorities for the event will include:  

  • Expand support for refugees and the countries who receive them
  • Advance implementation of the pledges made at the first Global Refugee Forum
  • Direct efforts to the areas in need of further support

Find out more about those priorities in the Reflecting on progress and charting the future infographic. 

Reviewing the progress and identifying challenges and areas in need of support will shape the substance and implementation of both ongoing and future pledges, partnerships and initiatives. The aim is to strengthen international cooperation in refugee responses, offer support where needed and translate the Global Compact on Refugees into concrete improvements in the lives of refugees and the communities that host them. 

Virtual Preparatory Roundtables: 

High-Levels Officials meeting:

Information in Arabic

Information in French

Information in Spanish