Involving Civil Society Organisations More Effectively in International Protection

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are essential in creating and delivering an effective, legitimate and resilient system of international protection for refugees. However, they face a number of barriers to being able to do this effectively. These barriers include: limited recognition by policy-makers of the contribution that CSOs can make to protection; uncertain access to funding and personnel; and, weak upholding or implementation of the international legal frameworks for protection. Addressing these issues would improve protection by effectively leveraging on-the-ground support for refugees, providing more direct channels for refugees themselves to input into policy, and embedding protection within populations. 

The agreement of the Global Compacts on Refugees (GCR) and on Migration (GCM) in 2018 established a formal role for civil society organisations in the provision of international protection of refugees. The High-Level Officials Meeting of December 2021 concluded that there remains a need to enhance access to protection, that better is made of capacities to address GCR objectives, that more refugee participation is needed and that more private sector engagement is needed. With the next Global Refugee Forum due at the end of 2023, now is the time to address these issues.