Matching Pledges

Dakar, Senegal, World Refugee Day 2021

Matching is the process of pairing policy pledges made by host countries to facilitate greater inclusion, protection, and support for refugees with pledges made by donors to provide the financial, material, or technical support necessary for their implementation. Matching translates the principle of responsibility sharing into action, providing a concrete and coordinated way for traditional and non-traditional partners to support and resource the commitments made by host countries.

For example, the Republic of Korea, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), recently offered to support a pledge made by Burundi following the 2019 Global Refugee Forum to repatriate Burundian refugees from Tanzania. By allocating more than USD5 million to help Burundi fulfil its pledge, both countries are joining forces to implement Objective 4 of the Global Compact on Refugees to support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity. The innovative partnership is supporting longer-term reintegration and local development needs by providing agriculture and artisanal livelihoods as well as access to education for Burundians returning home.

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What you need to know about matching pledges

Pledge Matching in the context of the GRF 2023

How do I match?

To match one of the host country pledges listed, please click the envelope button () within the pledging dashboard, to the right of the pledge you want to match.

If you would like to find out more about pledge matching, or to discuss other ways to get involved in the Global Refugee Forum 2023, please use this form.

Host countries wishing to update the status of their current policy pledges are invited to submit a pledge update.

Host countries wishing to develop new policy pledges according to needs, gaps, and areas of interest for potential matching are invited to submit a new pledge.

To find out more read Pledge Matching in the Context of the GRF 2023.

What is UNHCR’s role in the process?

While matching can be initiated bilaterally between two stakeholders, UNHCR or other independent parties can also act as facilitators and coordinators of discussions between pledging entities.

The dashboard provides detailed information about policy pledges made by host countries which require financial, material, or technical support to facilitate their implementation.

How does it work?

Matching can be translated in two forms: by way of retroactive matching or through pre-matching.

Retroactive matches represent the matching of pledges after they have been submitted with a particular focus on the host country policy pledges made at the first GRF in 2019, which are still under-resourced and unfulfilled. These pledges are included in the dashboard above.

Pre-matching refers to pledges that are developed and concretized in advance of announcement, as a result of consultations between donors and hosting States, facilitated when required by UNHCR.

Retroactive matches

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Step 1: Validation

Pledging entities validate existing pledges to ensure that they are still active, including by host countries defining operational needs to implement their policy pledges, and donors and other actors specifying and directing potential support (financial, technical, or material) for their implementation. 

Step 2: Expression of interest

States/entities pledging either financial/technical/material support or host countries making policy pledges express interest in engaging in matching. 

Step 3: Facilitation

When facilitated through UNHCR, contact is made with the relevant pledging entities to arrange for their initial communication on the match and discuss terms of support. 

Step 4: Visibility

When the pledging entities agree on matching terms, UNHCR outlines potential areas to provide visibility for the match.

Step 5: Follow-up

UNHCR and the pledging entities agree on the most appropriate progress follow-up mechanism during the timeframe of the implementation of pledges. 

Pre-matching

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Step 1: Expression of interest

In the lead-up to the next GRF, pledging entities will be invited to develop new pledges in line with the pledging guidance and 20 recommendations from the HLOM and define areas of potential interest for pledge development with the aim of the pledge being pre-matched.

Step 2: Define operational needs for host country policy pledges

Host country policy pledges would clearly define what operational support is needed for implementation. The pledge would also be uploaded on the pledge matching portal.

Step 3: Specify and channel donor pledges of support

Financial, material, or technical pledges of support would be developed or channelled in support of policy pledges to be made by hosting countries.

Step 4: Facilitation and coordination

Upon identification of matching interests by different stakeholder groups, all pledging entities working towards a match would coordinate their actions with one another, either directly or with the support of UNHCR.

Step 5: Follow-up and visibility

Details related to the pledge match would then be agreed upon, including the envisaged timeline and follow-up mechanism, and would be announced for the GRF 2023. Visibility would be developed.