The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) is a voluntary framework that commits signatories to four objectives: easing pressure on host countries, enhancing
refugee self-reliance, expanding access to third country solutions, and supporting conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity. Civil society actors are key stakeholders in the fulfilment of these commitments. While many civil society actors in India, such as humanitarian NGOs and faith-based groups, have long been working towards similar objectives, much of it has been siloed and project-based. The GCR, in theory, provides a framework to cohere around and to build a greater platform of advocacy for refugees—but to what extent will it (or can it) galvanise and organise national- and local-level change for enhanced refugee protection?

This paper explores the contributions that Indian civil society can make to ensure that the country adheres to its commitments under the GCR. It focuses particularly on the second GCR objective— “enhance refugee selfreliance”—and highlights how Indian civil society actors have long been working towards similar goals. As such, there are already rich experiences and data ready to be shared at GCR platforms. However, making the most of these platforms requires recognition from international/national actors that top-down collaborative frameworks are difficult for less formalised civil society actors—such as ad hoc voluntary groups and refugee self-started organisations—to participate in for a variety of reasons. Thus, for the GCR to be truly transformative in its work towards refugee protection and its inclusion of civil society contributions, non-traditional coordination and partnership approaches are also necessary.