Islamabad, Dec 6 (IANS): Prime Minister Imran Khan will represent Pakistan as a co-convener at the first-ever Global Refugee Forum, which will be held in Geneva from December 17-18.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Switzerland government will jointly host the GRF - the first major meeting on refugees of the 21st century, reports The News International.

Besides Pakistan, the meeting will also be co-convened by Turkey, Germany, Ethiopia and Costa Rica.

The two-day global conference is the first gathering at the ministerial level to follow up on the practical implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed at the UN in New York in December 2018.

Qaiser Khan Afridi, the UNHCR's spokesperson in Pakistan, told The News International that as co-conveners of the world meeting on refugees, Pakistan, as well as Germany, Turkey, Ethiopia and Costa Rica, will have a unique opportunity to help generate concrete pledges and contributions to make tangible and a long-term difference in the lives of refugees and the communities that host them.

He said that UNHCR and the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran would also launch a support platform to galvanise international solidarity for sustainable solutions for Afghan refugees.

According to the UNHCR, Pakistan hosts more than 1.4 million registered Afghans who have been forced to flee their homes.