The Summit on Refugees and Migration took place yesterday at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, with world leaders pledging to adopt a plan aimed at protecting the rights of refugees and migrants. 

193 member states agreed to the “New York Declaration” – a commitment to respond to the needs of refugees and migrants, as well as to find solutions for future humanitarian disasters.

Following the summit, a pledging meeting led by President Obama was held the next day, with some 50 states attending. Although a list of attendees was not released, the White House said participating countries "doubled the number of refugees they resettled or afforded other legal channels of admission". The summit though remained a major landmark, marking the beginning of a two-year process towards building a concrete and long-term vision. 

However, member states still faced criticism that they were unwilling to make new and substantial pledges, with the possibility that existing pledges may not be delivered – as in the case of those made in February at the London conference for Syria. As noted by Alexander Betts, a Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs, “If the week’s meetings are to have meaning, we need to move rapidly from abstract commitments to practical change.” Furthermore, this includes the need to address structural issues that go beyond “humanitarian aid and camp management, and legal advice to states,” he added.