Secretary-General Tells Mayors at Istanbul Summit to Include Refugees, Migrants in Urban Development Plans, Stressing Initial Aid Not Enough

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Mayors’ Focus Session on Cities’ Response to Migration at the World Humanitarian Summit, in Istanbul today:

I thank Mayor [Kadir] Topbaş and Istanbul Municipality for organizing this discussion. 

As the world faces the greatest wave of urbanization in history, and levels of displacement not seen since the Second World War, cities are being called upon to respond to migration on a daily basis.  Some regions are disproportionately affected, but this is a truly global phenomenon.

Towns and cities here in Turkey are generously hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees.  Cities, and the mayors that lead them, are the first responders, providing shelter, health, education and welfare services for families and individuals who may arrive with only the clothes on their backs.

I pay tribute to the people of your cities, who often greet refugees with hot food and warm hearts, sharing the little they may have in the name of solidarity, kindness and goodwill. 

Away from the headlines and stark images, strains accumulate on refugees and migrants, and on host communities and countries.

It falls to mayors and local governments to you to create welcoming and safe environments for displaced people, foster economic opportunities and to nurture the relationship between new arrivals and host communities.

Refugees and displaced people frequently stay in host countries and communities for years.  The initial, much-needed humanitarian support is not a viable long-term response.  Refugees and migrants need to be included in national and urban development plans, so that they can make a living and contribute to the city’s prosperity.

Refugees and migrants are well-known for their work ethic and their love of education.  They have a huge contribution to make.  Migration leads to diversity that brings a host of advantages to the city.  Communities, cities and countries that recognize this are best-placed to reap the benefits.

This is a truly global discussion, and I encourage you to share best practices, lessons learned and strategies for the future.

I look forward to hearing the outcomes, and to building on them at the High-Level Plenary on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants in New York on 19 September.

Thank you, and I wish you a successful session.