The meeting aimed at coordinating the Arab position about the themes that would be discussed at the High-Level Meeting, including addressing the root causes of refugee’ large movements; addressing drivers of migration, particularly large movements and highlighting the positive contributions of migrants; presenting the international action and cooperation on refugees, migrants and related issues of displacement: the way forward; and, responsibility-sharing under the Global Compact for Refuges (GCR) and respect for the international law.

A final declaration was adopted by Member States stating that LAS, as the secretariat of the ARCP, was assigned to follow-up on the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants at the regional level, as well as the consultations on the GCR.

Another extraordinary meeting for the ARCP was held on 25-26 July 2017 at LAS Headquarters in Cairo, in preparation for the consultations on the GCR. The meeting was organized in cooperation between UNHCR and LAS aiming to ensure the active participation of LAS Member States in the consultations of the GCR and to encourage their diplomatic missions in New York and Geneva to coordinate internally in this regard. The meeting aimed at raising the awareness of LAS Member States on the ongoing process to develop the GCR, and to agree on the key messages that the Arab region is keen to include in the Global Compact, to be presented in all related fora.

The meeting proposed recommendations concerning the development of the Global Compact on Refugees and implementing the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF); reception and admission; supporting the immediate and ongoing needs for refugees; providing support for host countries and communities; and finally on finding durable solutions, which were submitted for review by Member States globally during the formal consultation on the GCR.

The General Secretariat of LAS organized another Arab Regional Consultative Process on Migration and Refugee Affairs meeting, in June 2021 to discuss the latest updates concerning the GCR and following up on its implementation in the region. The meeting aimed at introducing LAS Member States to the latest updates on the compact, the mechanisms for GCR review, and availing the opportunity for them to present the efforts made at the national level towards GCR implementation. It also provided a forum to exchange experiences and best practices in this regard, within the preparation for the high-level meeting scheduled in December 2021, through which a review and presentation of the GCR across the globe will take place.