UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for more support for countries that accept refugees.

Guterres gave opening remarks to ministerial-level officials at the Global Refugee Forum at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.

The forum is the UN's first on measures for refugees and internally displaced people.

Guterres noted that more than 70 million people have been displaced, including 25 million refugees, due to conflict and persecution. He said these are the highest levels of displacement on record.

He said, "Now more than ever, we need international cooperation and practical, effective responses." He added that better answers are needed for those who flee, and better help for countries that receive them.

Discussions at the forum will include those on Syrian refugees accepted by Turkey.

The European Union is providing a huge amount of financial aid to Turkey in exchange for keeping refugees in transit within the country so they will not flow into member nations within the bloc.

But Turkey was hosting 3.7 million refugees by the end of 2018, which was the highest number in the world.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the percentage of refugees who resettle in a third country should be increased.

He is calling on European countries to accept more of them. The forum will end on Wednesday.

NHK