Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky Leads Senior Level Delegation To UNHCR Conference in Geneva, Switzerland April 17-18

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky will lead a senior level delegation to Geneva for a conference hosted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Addressing the Humanitarian Needs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons inside Iraq and in Neighboring Countries. Members of the delegation include Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Ellen R. Sauerbrey; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Lawrence Butler; Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Ky Luu; U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva Warren Tichenor; Director of Episcopal Migration Ministries Richard Parkins; and Director of Education Programs, Relief International and Schools Online, Zoya Naskova. The focus of the Conference is to raise awareness of the needs of displaced Iraqis, promote concrete actions by the international community to mitigate the suffering of displaced Iraqis and support host governments.

On February 5, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice established the Iraq Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Task Force. Under Secretary Dobriansky leads this effort to coordinate refugee and IDP assistance to the region and refugee resettlement. The Task Force also draws on the multidisciplinary expertise in the U.S. Government to devise strategies for Iraqis at risks because of their employment with the United States Government.

For further information on U.S. participation in the conference and media opportunities, please contact the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, 022-749-4359 / 4360.

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