High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, 2018

More than half of the world’s refugee populations live in urban areas today, making city administrations and mayors some of the most important stakeholders in the delivery of protection and assistance in urban spaces.

The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which was affirmed by the UN General Assembly on 17 December 2018, provides mechanisms for the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders in refugee response, including cities and local authorities.

The 2018 Dialogue was organised around the key areas of focus of the GCR: reception and admission; meeting needs and supporting communities; solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless people in urban areas; future challenges and opportunities. In line with the comprehensive refugee responses promoted by the GCR, the Dialogue sought to broaden the focus of discussions to encompass both humanitarian and development perspectives on displacement in urban areas. In the spirit of a ‘whole-of-society’ approach, the Dialogue also provided an opportunity for different segments of society to showcase their unique contributions to comprehensive refugee responses in urban settings.