U.S. Mission to the United Nations
Geneva, Switzerland
April 21, 2010
On April 21, 2010, representatives of the United States Government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a bilateral Framework for Cooperation agreement for the years 2010 and 2011, signaling their continued partnership to advance protection, assistance and durable solutions for refugees, stateless persons, and other vulnerable persons of concern.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva Betty E. King met in Geneva to sign the agreement, which focuses on UNHCR’s global strategic priorities, reform efforts, performance measures and performance targets. Before signing the agreement, Ambassador King and Mr. Guterres discussed a broad range of humanitarian challenges.
The U.S. Government, as UNHCR’s largest bilateral donor, has consistently supported the important work of UNHCR. In Fiscal Year 2009, the U.S. provided over $600 million to the refugee agency. The bilateral Framework for Cooperation agreement will be updated biannually to reflect current priorities and to ensure accountability and transparency.
This document will be available on the U.S. Department of State website at http://www.state.gov/g/prm/ and on the UNHCR website at http://www.unhcr.org.