United States Mission Geneva

On December 19, the Royal Government of Cambodia, at the request of China, forcibly removed a group of 20 Uighur asylum seekers back to China in apparent violation of Cambodia’s international obligations.

Photo Gallery: U.S. Mission Refugee and Migration Affairs Attaché Melissa Pitotti participated in a multi-donor mission to Eastern Sudan from October 10 – 16, 2009. Organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), participants saw one of the oldest refugee situations in the world, and explored opportunities for refugees to become self-reliant.

Secretary Clinton (Oct. 19): “The Sudan policy we are outlining today is the result of an intensive review across the United States Government…. It reflects the Administration’s seriousness, sense of urgency, and collective agreement about how best to address the complex challenges that have prevented resolution of the crisis in Darfur and full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.”

Around the world today, millions of people endure war, genocide, famine and natural disasters. Often, they are forced to flee in search of safety, seeking temporary shelter until they can return home and rebuild their lives. But for many refugees and other displaced people, the homes they loved are gone forever.

Islamabad, June 3, 2009 — The U.S. government is set to provide an additional $200 million in urgent humanitarian assistance to aid internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North West Frontier Province.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that as of June 1, 2009, a total of $135,008 in private donations from U.S. sources for humanitarian aid to Pakistan had been received. Of that total, $31,390 was received via 5,722 text messages.

The United States welcomes the recent progress that has been made through the efforts of many delegations, governments and officials in the formulation of the draft outcome document for the Durban Review Conference on April 20. …. There remain, however, elements of the current draft text that continue to pose significant concerns.

New Story on the U.S. Mission Facebook Page: State Department Refugee Officer Melissa Pitotti participated in the March 2009 United Nations donor mission to the Sahrawi refugee camps in western Algeria. The visit highlighted the severe living conditions facing a population that has lived in exile for the last 33 years.

The United States Senate today overwhelmingly approved the nomination of USTR designee Ron Kirk as the nation’s 16th trade representative. As United States Trade Representative (USTR), Kirk is member of President Obama’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.