Multi-Religious Council of Leaders – reaffirming faith-based actors’ commitment to the GCR

On 3 December, Religions for Peace and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency met with the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders – a global, multi-religious council representing the religious institutions and faith traditions –to welcome its new members and begin its second tenure leading up to the Global Refugee Forum 2027.

The Multi-Religious Council of Leaders works together to mobilize their faith communities, advocate for policies that provide protection for refugees, speak out against discrimination and stigmatization promote peace reconciliation and social cohesion in their respective regions and globally.

Members continue to support global advocacy campaigns, facilitate community-sponsorship, resettlement, education & employments programmes, lobby for legislative reforms through parliamentary dialogues at the national level and contribute to philanthropic initiatives by mobilizing members of their faith communities. At the Global Refugee Forum 2023, members made new commitments pledging towards solutions, fundraising, social cohesion, education, and prevention of statelessness. Members of the Council commit to ensuring the meaningful participation of refugees at their gatherings and meetings.

"My message today for spiritual leaders is to step up the cause for the respect for human lives. We need to come together and strengthen our efforts in this cause. I emphasize the importance of focusing on women and children who are often the primary victim of the cruel violence that has become the norm in conflict today.” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

Dr. Francis Kuria, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, emphasized the leadership and the important role of the Council. He stated that "We need to ensure systematic inclusion of refugees in our societies, and now, more than ever, it is imperative that we come together across religious lines to address the urgent issues facing our world to promote peace, justice, and reconciliation."

The Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, recognizes that faith-based actors are important contributors. They are critical in serving and advocating for refugees and internally displaced people, as well as their host communities including in the areas of conflict prevention, reconciliation, and peacebuilding, as well as other relevant areas.

Find out more about the work faith-based actors are doing towards the Global Compact on Refugees.