2007 World Refugee Challenges

Presented by the Secretary's Open Forum


WHAT:  A Conversation With UN High Commissioner Antonio Guterres on "2007 World Refugee Challenges: Iraq, Chad/Darfur, and Colombia."  Ellen R. Sauerbrey, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, will provide opening remarks.

WHEN:  Thursday, February 15, 2007, Noon to 1 pm

WHERE: Loy Henderson Auditorium, U.S. Department of State, Harry S Truman Building, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC

WHO: Antonio Guterres started as UN High Commissioner for Refugees on June 15, 2005, succeeding Mr. Ruud Lubbers of the Netherlands. A former Portuguese prime minister, Mr. Guterres was elected by the UN General Assembly to a 5-year term and is the UN refugee agency’s 10th High Commissioner. As High Commissioner, he heads one of the world’s principal humanitarian agencies. UNHCR has twice won the Nobel Peace Prize and its 6,500 staff members currently work in over 100 countries providing protection and assistance to 20.8 million refugees and others of concern. More than 80% of its staff work in the field, often in difficult and dangerous duty stations. The agency’s total budget for 2006 is more than $1 billion.

Before joining UNHCR, Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He served as the Portuguese prime minister from 1996 to 2002, during which he spearheaded the international effort to stop the atrocities in East Timor. As president of the European Council in early 2000, he led the adoption of the so-called Lisbon Agenda and chaired the first EU-Africa summit. He also founded the Portuguese Refugee Council in 1991, and was part of the Council of State of Portugal from 1991 to 2002.

RSVP: For guests who do NOT hold a State Department ID, please RSVP by COB February 9, 2007 to foleycs@state.gov and provide full name, birthdate, drivers license or passport number, citizenship, affiliation.