Building a Lifeline: A proposed global platform and responsibility sharing model for the Global Compact on Refugees

In 2016, the leaders of 193 governments committed to more equitable and predictable sharing of responsibility for refugees as part of the New York Declaration, to be realized in the upcoming Global Compact on Refugees. To encourage debate, this paper presents the first global model to measure the capacity of governments to physically protect and financially support refugees and host communities. The model is based on a new database of indicators covering 193 countries, which assigns a fair share to each country and measures current government contributions to the physical protection of refugees. The model also proposes a new government-led global platform in support of refugee protection and human development.

There is less than a year to ensure that the upcoming Global Compact on Refugees includes a concrete, predictable, and fair mechanism for refugee protection and support that is forward-looking, sustainable, and holistic. With almost 23 million people around the world living in exile, there is no time to waste.