Mr Obama used his eighth and final United Nations address as president to call for a “course correction” to ensure that extremism and violence does not drive countries into a more divided world.
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Power said the summit wouldn’t be a “panacea” for the crisis, but would show what the usa can achieve when it leads on an issue of global concern.
“We are facing a crisis of epic proportion”, Mr Obama said.
“We cannot unwind integration any more than we can stuff technology back into a box, nor can we look to failed models of the past”.
In his final address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Obama contrasted the economy of South Korea with “the wasteland of North Korea [that] shows that central, planned control of the economy is a dead end”.
Ban released years of pent up anger at leaders and countries who have contributed to suffering and conflict across the globe.
Countries participating in the summit Tuesday are expected to announce individual pledges that are in line with a U.S. goal of increasing humanitarian aid by $3 billion, doubling resettlement and providing access to jobs and education, said Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Participating countries have vowed to help fund schools for a million refugee children as well as assist in helping one million refugees work legally.
The summit was held a day after the 193 United Nations member-states adopted a global plan to confront the refugee crisis.
The commitments announced Tuesday fell far short of what aid groups say is needed to address the crisis.
A record-breaking 65 million people are on the move worldwide, including 21 million refugees competing for too few resettlement opportunities.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country has seen 2.5 million Syrian refugees pass through since 2011 and is now hosting 1.5 million, stressed the need to work on a macro level in order to make progress on a micro level.
Secretary of State John Kerry announced last week that the administration plans to set a goal of welcoming up to 110,000 refugees in fiscal 2017.
“This crisis is a test of our common humanity – whether we give in to suspicion and fear and build walls, or whether we see ourselves in another”, Obama said.
He never mentioned Donald Trump by name, but referenced the danger of building walls. Over 20 million of them are refugees, the vast majority of whom are now living in just 10 countries.
Obama also faces security concerns at home, though, over the prospect of admitting more refugees.
He said he was proud that UN Women was established under his watch and drew loud applause when he said: “I am proud to call myself a feminist”. At the heart of his approach, Obama said, is a belief that conflicts are best solved when nations cooperate and a willingness to engage with erstwhile adversaries like Cuba and Myanmar.
Only eight countries now host more than half the world’s refugees: Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya and Uganda.
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The refugee crisis is expected to dominate discussions between world leaders this week at the United Nations gathering.
