Скачать или смотреть USCIRF Conversation: Global Compact On Refugees

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hosted a virtual event about the United Nations Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and its implications for refugees fleeing religious persecution.

The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that as of the mid-2021, there were an unprecedented 26.6 million refugees worldwide. Two-thirds of these refugees are from five countries, which include three countries with ongoing persecution of various religious communities: Syria, Burma, and Afghanistan. Given the immense scale of the global refugee crisis, the GCR, endorsed by the General Assembly in 2018, is designed to promote responsibility-sharing among host countries and communities to better support refugees. The Biden Administration recently made several pledges to support the GCR.

This event considered the impact of the GCR in ameliorating the plight of refugees fleeing religious persecution. USCIRF held a hearing in February 2021 that explored ways that the U.S. government can better protect and support individuals targeted based on their religion or belief abroad. Building on the findings from this hearing, the event also explored further opportunities for the U.S. government and international community to aid refugees fleeing religious persecution.

USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza and Commissioner Anurima Bhargava were joined by guest panelists Rabbi Rick Jacobs, member of the joint UNHCR-Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, and Patrick Wall, co-author of The Global Compact on Refugees Three Years On. USCIRF Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir moderated the conversation followed by questions and answers from attendees.