56th Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Plenary Statement Delivered by Richard L. Greene
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM)


Geneva,
October 3, 2005

Mr. Chairman,

We thank you for your leadership of this Committee over the past few months and for your willingness to step in and complete the work ably begun by former Ecuadorian Ambassador Escudero.

We welcome Jordan - a generous refugee hosting country - as a new member of EXCOM. We also salute Afghanistan as a new Party to the Refugee Convention and Protocol.

I would like to begin my remarks by thanking the many countries and organizations around the world who contributed to our Hurricane Katrina response. You were timely, you were fast, and the American people appreciated your efforts. This experience has given the American people a new and more direct appreciation of what it means to be displaced; that appreciation will only strengthen our resolve to continue to be a leader in the international response to refugee situations around the world.

Mr. High Commissioner, I want to thank your for your remarks, which reflect your thoughtful vision for the organization. In response, I would like to make five points:

First, my government strongly supports your emphasis that protection is at the heart of all of UNHCR's work. We have seen progress in both the legal and physical protection of refugees and other people of concern to UNHCR. Witness the increase in both the number and quality of protection officers, and making that commitment part of UNHCR's core budget. And, witness language in the conclusions we hope to adopt later this week recognizing the importance of local integration and rights underpinning self-reliance. But let's be clear: these negotiations didn't move us as far forward as we hoped, and much work remains to strengthen the international protection regime.

Second, we want to find durable solutions for more protracted refugee situations. The resolution of conflicts in countries including Afghanistan, Angola, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has significantly reduced the world's refugee population.

In addition, we anticipate that large numbers of refugees will return to southern Sudan, the Republic of Congo, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the coming year, further reducing the number of refugees. Resettlement is also an important solution for refugees in protracted situations, and the U.S. commitment to resettlement remains strong. We have resettled over 2.6 million refugees since 1975. This year, having overcome a difficult series of operational obstacles, we have opened our doors to nearly 54,000 refugees from more than 50 countries for permanent resettlement. This is more than all the other resettlement countries combined. Next year, President Bush is committed to increasing our admissions numbers by almost 30 percent to 70,000 - and we will be relying on UNHCR to help deliver on this goal.

Third, partnerships are essential, and we applaud the High Commissioner's initiative to actively strengthen UNHCR's partnerships with other international and non-governmental organizations. For example, the strengthened UNHCR-WFP partnership appears to be producing tangible results in the field. However, refugee food programs remain dramatically underfunded. Here, governments must do more. UNHCR cannot effectively fulfill its mandate without full partnership with NGOs. Effective partnership is also at the core of the UN's proposed "cluster" approach to IDPs. While we have questions about the implementation of this approach, we welcome UNHCR's recognition that they have significant resources and technical expertise to offer. We look forward to continued dialogue with UNHCR leadership and others to improve the international response to the internally displaced.

Fourth, UNHCR's response to emergencies is among the most visible elements of its work. Response effectiveness makes headlines and grabs the attention of those who determine our budgets. UNHCR must ensure that an adequate core of well supported and experienced international professional staff can deploy quickly. A more flexible human resources policy is clearly called for to support this objective. And in emergency situations, we must all work together to create an environment that is safe and secure for refugees and humanitarian workers.

Fifth, effective, on-the-ground performance results from good management systems and structure. For UNHCR, this means results-based management, a culture of accountability, technology upgrades, predictability of action, transparency in word and deed, and consultation and information-sharing with its partners. It means taking care of core competencies, particularly protection, emergency response, and durable solutions. It means filling the "implementation gap" that the High Commissioner has so clearly recognized in his early days in office. Effective multilateral action includes demonstrating the will, including the financial will, to make the international system work. The United States remains a committed partner with UNHCR. Last week we contributed nearly another $10 million. This brings our fiscal year 2005 contribution to approximately $320 million.

Mr. Chairman,

We know that UNHCR and its partners work in the most challenging of circumstances. Last week's large-scale attacks on IDP camps in Darfur were another jolting reminder of the challenges, the immediacy, and the overwhelming need for effective international response mechanisms. But we also know that improving the lives of refugees has strong and principled support from all the corners of the world. The importance and the urgency of our collective efforts are clear: if we can improve emergency response, protect the rights of refugees, and ensure that returns are done in safety and with dignity, we can sustain lives and breed hope. Everyone in this room has a role to play in that effort - whether it's ensuring first refuge and fair asylum policies, supporting diplomatic efforts, or contributing resources to achieve durable solutions.

Mr. Chairman,

There is a direct connection between improving the lives of refugees and UNHCR's performance. Mr. High Commissioner, we applaud your initiatives and we will be supporting and closely monitoring your efforts.

Thank you.