UN Assembly adopts refugee pact, without US and Hungary

The UN General Assembly on Monday adopted by a wide majority a Global Compact on Refugees aimed at improving efforts to manage large refugee movements -- but without the support of the United States and Hungary.

The refugee pact, which did not provoke the controversy unleashed over a similar pact on migration, was approved by 181 countries.

Only two voted no -- the US and Hungary. Three others abstained -- the Dominican Republic, Eritrea and Libya.

Much like the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration -- the refugee pact is not legally binding.

The two global agreements stem from the so-called New York Declaration adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly in September 2016, with the goal of better handling migrant and refugee flows worldwide.

The compact -- written under the auspices of the Geneva-based UN refugee agency (UNHCR) -- hopes to ensure an adequate international response to large-scale refugee movements and extended displacement of refugees.

General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa told AFP the pact would help "strengthen the assistance to and protection of the 25 million refugees globally" and was based on burden -- and responsibility-sharing.

"Refugee-hosting countries continue to show extraordinary levels of generosity and commitment to refugee protection," said Espinosa, who is from Ecuador.

"It's a known fact that low and middle-income countries host over 85 per cent of all refugees. I believe that we must support the communities and states that host refugees."