With today's movements of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants presenting significant challenges in many countries and regions, reinforced international cooperation and responsibility-sharing is urgently needed among States. This article examines the principles underlying cooperation among States in international law, and in international refugee law in particular. It describes key historical situations in which States have worked together, including with UNHCR's support and facilitation, to develop and implement cooperative responses to refugee movements, including large-scale arrivals. It argues for a new framework, as proposed by the UN Secretary-General, in the form of a Global Compact on Refugees, to ensure more effective responsibility-sharing in response to significant refugee movements, including a commitment to implement comprehensive responses from the outset of a displacement situation. Elaborating on the key elements that this framework would comprise, the article maintains that recent dynamics create not only strong imperatives, but also potentially important opportunities, to take forward action in this area. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

[No Keywords available]

United Nations international cooperation social movement refugee international law human rights asylum seeker immigrant population