Five things to know about the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review

2. Who is convening and participating?

The Progress Review is co-convened by Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan and Uganda, in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The event has been organized with funding and support from Switzerland, which is co-hosting, and the United Kingdom.

Refugee participation is a core principle of the GCR. Over 200 refugees and people with lived experience of displacement and statelessness are expected to participate in the event in Geneva, including 130 supported by UNHCR. Refugee leaders are co-designing sessions, speaking in plenary and leading thematic discussions. They are essential partners in identifying challenges and shaping solutions in areas such as education, livelihoods and protection.

Other participants at the event include high-level government officials; representatives from civil society; mayors, local government and city authorities; private sector organizations; other UN and development agencies; faith leaders; sports entities; and academics.

This multi-stakeholder approach reflects the GCR’s principle of shared responsibility.

3. What areas of progress are being reviewed?

Despite the challenging global context, advances in refugee support and protection are happening in countries and communities worldwide. Since the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees, data show that collective action and solidarity are effective, provided the required political will and financial resources are in place.

Some key figures behind the review include:

• Some 3,470 pledges have been made since the first GRF in 2019, with the latest assessment showing that two-thirds are either fulfilled or on track.
• An additional $2.6 billion in financial pledges by governments, foundations, the private sector and civil society has been disbursed in support of GRF 2023 pledges.

Real progress has been made in several areas, including 10 countries adopting new labour laws supporting refugee employment, more than 10 states strengthening their asylum processes, and refugee enrolment in higher education increasing by 50 per cent between 2023 and 2025.

4. What are the remaining gaps and challenges?

While many countries have adopted progressive policies, implementation of GRF pledges remains uneven due to funding shortfalls and coordination gaps. Genuine responsibility sharing is yet to be realized. Countries that accounted for just 27 per cent of global wealth were hosting 80 per cent of the world’s refugees in 2024, underscoring the urgent need for greater international support to ensure refugees get the protection and support they need.

Among the key gaps and challenges that participants will address are:

• Insufficient matching of policy pledges by host countries with financial, material and technical pledges from donors, leaving many ambitious host country commitments under-resourced. Additionally, policies to promote refugees’ economic and social inclusion in host countries continue to be hindered by regulatory obstacles and shifting political priorities.
• Nearly half of all refugee children remain out of school, and only around half of refugees globally have access to formal employment.
• Third-country solutions for refugees remain insufficient, and the outlook is increasingly uncertain. For example, while 2024 saw record resettlement (116,000 people), quotas for 2025 declined sharply.
• Efforts to enable returns in safety and dignity remain fragmented and lack scale. Prospects for return are limited by insecurity, a lack of funds for reconstruction, unresolved property issues, and a lack of basic services, economic opportunities and access to agricultural land.