Insights from a CRF Workshop
A record sixty million people are currently displaced globally, primarily as a result of violent conflicts. Displaced populations are more mobile than ever before, thanks to new transportation methods and communication technologies. These factors were unforeseen when the global humanitarian regime—which encompasses the policies and organizations that govern international humanitarian prevention efforts and responses—emerged in the wake of World War II. The rapid escalation of refugee flows in 2015, coupled with the protracted nature of today's conflicts, has strained the humanitarian regime to the breaking point, tested the reception systems of states, and called into question the protections afforded to refugees.
The Council on Foreign Relations hosted a workshop to examine the challenges facing the global humanitarian regime. This report summarizes the discussion's highlights.