The United Nations has called for more commitment from donors and host member countries for the protection of refugees.

Officials who spoke at a function to evaluate the progress of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants said while much has been accomplished, more work is required to provide equal opportunity and protection for people seeking asylum in the neighboring countries.

It’s aimed at improving the way in which the international community responds to large movements of refugees and migrants.

The UN says more than a million refugees from South Sudan are currently living in Uganda.

Most of them are women and children escaping violence that intensified in July 2016.

Last year, the UN organized a refugee summit in Kampala in which it appealed for funds to support the growing number of refugees in camps in parts of Northern Uganda.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák said the refugee declaration is a binding document that should be upheld by all nations.

“The New York declaration resonated as a bold step forward for a world struggling to meet the challenges of large scale refugee flaws and increasingly complex migratory movements,” he said.

“It reaffirmed the fundamental principle of refugee protection, an age old value and now a universal legally binding obligation.”

Louise Arbour, the UN Special representatives for International Migration, said provision of safe passage and support to refugees in Uganda and around the world requires global cooperation.

“The movement of people across borders highlights the connection between state sovereignty and state interdependence,” she said.

The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants also expresses the political will of world leaders to save lives, protect rights and share responsibility on a global scale.

Ms Arbour said refugees, migrants, those who assist them, and their host countries and communities will all benefit if these commitments are met.