The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants seeks to address not only the current issues regarding migration, but also aims to prepare the world for “future challenges” (UNHCR 2017). Some of these commitments include:
● “Support those countries rescuing, receiving and hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants.
● “Improve the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance to those countries most affected, including through innovative multilateral financial solutions, with the goal of closing all funding gaps.
● “Protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants, regardless of status.
● “Prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence. Strongly condemn xenophobia against refugees and migrants and support a global campaign to counter it.
● “Find new homes for all refugees identified by UNHCR as needing resettlement; and expand the opportunities for refugees to relocate to other countries (UNHCR 2016).”
However, it remains unclear how the UN plans to enact these commitments. According to policy expert Jeff Crisp in his News Deeply article “New
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With this resolution, the UN seeks to directly address the issue regarding expanding and updating the legal definition of “refugee” to include climate change refugees. According to the UN 1951 Refugee Convention, the term “refugee” applied to any person who,
As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country (UNHCR