Content
The number of people forcibly displaced is rising for more than a decade. It has now reached well over 120 million people worldwide. To respond more effectively, UN member states adopted the Global Compact on Refugees in 2018. It calls on governments, international organisations, and civil society to work together to improve the lives of people forced to flee.
Objective
Our vision is clear: refugees should be included in host communities and become valued members of society – not isolated in camps and dependent on humanitarian assistance. Our mission is to partner with like-minded host countries and support them in moving from a purely humanitarian response towards a more inclusive and sustainable approach to hosting refugees.
Approach
Guided by this global commitment, the German Government commissioned the Global Programme with UNHCR (SUN) between 2018 and 2025. SUN brought together humanitarian, development, and peace perspectives – known as the
Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus – to create opportunities for refugees and hosting communities.
Over six years, SUN changed the lives of more than 700,000 people across 11 countries. Examples include:
Social housing and education in Niger and Mauritania, improving opportunities and protection for vulnerable groups.
Expanding access to clean energy in East Africa, from solar power to cleaner cooking solutions.
Providing technical and staffing support to UNHCR to help refugees access national services such as health, education, and employment.
Advisors in countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, and Mauritania, helping integrate refugees and internally displaced persons into national development plans.
Supported by BMZ, the successful cooperation between GIZ and UNHCR continues in several partner countries, such as Mauritania and Mozambique, and at the global level through the
Refugee Inclusion Accelerator (RISE) programme.