Refugees’ plight ‘will not stop’ unless root causes of flight are addressed: GA President

17 December 2018

Until we tackle the issues presently driving 258 million people to leave their home countries, the world’s refugee crisis “will not stop,” said the President of the UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa on Monday.

“No one in their right mind” wants to flee their home, she said, adding that climate-change, economic challenges, and discrimination are pushing people to seek refuge.

Following the General Assembly’s affirmation of the Global Compact for Refugees on Monday, and the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration last week, Ms. Espinosa explained how the compacts are “mutually reinforcing” for the people they serve.

Speaking to UN News’s Natalie Hutchison, she said the freshly-adopted compacts provide a platform for “burden-sharing” between countries hosting and delivering services to refugees and migrants.

Audio Credit:

Natalie Hutchison, UN News

Audio Duration:

9'48"

Photo Credit:

UN Photo/Mark Garten

PGA Global Compact for Migration

Refugees’ plight ‘will not stop’ unless root causes of flight are addressed: GA President

Resources

Secretary-General

Spokesperson's Office

Find Us

Search the United Nations

Refugees’ plight ‘will not stop’ unless root causes of flight are addressed: GA President

Resources

Secretary-General

Spokesperson's Office

Find Us