At UNHCR’s annual pledging conference in Geneva on 2 December 2025, the United Kingdom reaffirmed support for the agency but did not announce a 2026 pledge, citing the timing of its budget cycle. In an FCDO statement published on GOV.UK, Ambassador Kumar Iyer, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, said UK contributions in 2025 have already exceeded last year, totalling £91 million, and reaffirmed support for flexible, unearmarked funding.
UK officials backed UNHCR’s “Sustainable Responses” approach, which prioritises inclusion of refugees within national systems rather than establishing parallel arrangements. The statement added that development planning should be built into humanitarian operations from the outset to secure longer‑term outcomes and reduce cost pressures.
London also linked displacement policy to ongoing UN reform, referencing the “UN80” track and the humanitarian reset to ensure refugee responses are embedded across the system. The UK made similar points at UNHCR’s Executive Committee in October 2025, urging UNHCR to take forward these reforms in full.
The statement paid tribute to High Commissioner Filippo Grandi’s leadership and noted his impending departure. UN documentation confirms his mandate runs to 31 December 2025, marking the close of a decade at the helm of the agency.
On needs, the UK referenced a projection that the global forcibly displaced population could reach 136 million next year, warning that financial strain risks leaving the most vulnerable behind. For context, UNHCR placed the figure at roughly 123 million at the end of 2024.
Budget timing has affected UK pledging before. In December 2024, the UK confirmed an unearmarked contribution of £33 million for 2025 and signalled further country‑level top‑ups, with total 2024 support cited at £82 million. The 2025 total of £91 million therefore represents a year‑on‑year increase.
The emphasis on unearmarked funding aligns with UNHCR’s request for more flexible resources amid a severe squeeze on available finance. UNHCR has warned it expects to end 2025 with about $3.9 billion available-around $1.3 billion less than in 2024-after workforce reductions and office consolidations, underscoring the value of untied contributions for rapid response.
The UK reiterated responsibility‑sharing with refugee‑hosting states, praising inclusive national policies and signalling continued support through available instruments. In practice, this points to UK finance that strengthens national services so refugees can access health, education and protection on equal terms with host communities, subject to future allocations.
Attention now turns to the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review in Geneva on 15–17 December 2025, where states and partners will track delivery against pledges under the Global Compact on Refugees. The UK called on partners to sustain momentum ahead of that meeting.