The Global Compact on Refugees is important because it creates a framework for more equitable international responsibility and burden-sharing in the refugee context. We want to breathe life into the Global Compact on Refugees. Germany is setting a good example in this respect. The Federal Republic of Germany ranks fifth among refugee host countries. We are the second largest financial donor to the UNHCR. Now, one year after the adoption of the Global Compact, it is important that as many states as possible demonstrate solidarity and assume responsibility. That is precisely the message we want to send again in Geneva. Refugee issues can only be successfully addressed through joint, multilateral action.

As a co-convenor of the Global Refugee Forum, Germany is particularly seeking to improve refugees’ access to higher education. We need international scholarship programmes that give refugees the opportunity to unlock their potential. In cooperation with the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI), Germany has developed an effective scholarship programme for this purpose. We want to mobilise international support for the initiative.