UNHCR’s first Forum -meeting

UNHCR’s (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) first Forum -meeting was organized on Friday 27 June 2003 in Geneva. The aim of the Forum is to find durable solutions to refugee situations. Several interested governments, non-governmental organizations and international agencies participated in the meeting to discuss the protection and assistance of refugees.

The meeting was chaired by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Ruud Lubbers. He emphasized the burden sharing between states and permanent solutions to refugee situations.

The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol have been - and still are - the corner stones for the protection of the refugees. However, some refugee situations today are so specific that they are not covered by the Convention or its Protocol. In the framework of High Commissioner’s so called Convention Plus -initiative the Forum tries to find a durable solutions to these refugee situations.

As this was just the beginning of the process and the first opportunity to change the views discussion will continue at later stage between UNHCR and the participants of the Forum. More information on the Forum and the activities of the UNHCR is available at UNHCR’s www-pages: www.unhcr.ch

the activities of the UNHCR and Forum(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)