ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the history and content of the New York Declaration. The declaration is non-binding soft international law that consolidated and reaffirmed the rights of refugees and migrants. The declaration was framed around two concepts: responsibility sharing for refugees and the responsibility of states to control their borders and regulate migration. The document defined large movements of migrants and refugees, launched a campaign to combat xenophobia, and endorsed the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. Despite these achievements, the NY Declaration used weak language on the criminalization and detention of migrants and overlooked commitments for IDPs, persons with disability, and LGBTQ+ people. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the Leaders’ Summit, hosted by President Obama, which fractured and undermined the UN process.
