The World Bank Group at the Global Refugee Forum 2023

A multiplicity of international crises has resulted in unprecedented numbers of forcibly displaced persons across the world. On an average, a refugee tends to be in exile for at least 13 years. Preventing and mitigating their challenges is key to making progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to the international community's broader efforts to promote peace and prosperity.    

The second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) will be held from December 13-15, 2023 in Geneva. It will be co-hosted by UNHCR and Switzerland and co-convened by Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan and Uganda. The Forum provides a unique opportunity to rethink the global response to refugee crises, build on interventions that have worked and get to the next level to better serve refugees, and the countries that host them.

The GRF represents a milestone in the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) adopted in 2018. The World Bank will actively participate to re-energize three key elements of the Global Compact on Refugees at this Forum:

First, inclusion of refugees in national service delivery systems like education and health rather than the development of expensive parallel systems.

Second, supporting host countries that cannot be expected to shoulder the burden alone.

Third, re-examining the current financial models to find the most effective ways to use available resources.

Over the last few years, the World Bank has stepped up its engagement and commitment to supporting refugees and hosting countries. In the next four years, the World Bank plans to continue mobilizing and deploying financial resources through the IDA Window for Host communities and Refugees and the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF).

We actively collaborate with countries of origin to address the drivers of conflict and displacement, working towards creating conditions that facilitate the safe return of refugees. The World Bank is committed to leveraging our expertise and operational experience to empower displaced people, facilitating their access to social services and economic opportunities. Our goal is to improve the self-reliance, dignity, and well-being of people forcibly displaced across the world.

At the GRF, the Bank delegation will be participating in several thematic side events on education, social protection, data, concessional financing for middle-income countries and meaningful refugee participation.