Update on The Americas

Update on
The Americas
No. 4, Summer, 2003
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
♦ OAS adopts resolution on refugees and
asylum seekers
Colombia situation
♦ UNHCR expands to “Caribbean Coast”
♦ Indigenous peoples under threat
♦ 6,000 receive IDs in southern Colombia
♦ UNHCR to advise Colombian legislators
♦ Bojayá, one year after the tragedy
♦ Back to school with UNHCR in Panama
♦ Youth recover from trauma in Panama’s
Darien region
♦ ID cards improve protection in Ecuador
♦ Colombians flee to Ecuador
♦ Helping Border Communities
♦ Medical aid reaches Venezuela’s border
Mexico and Central America
♦ Costa Rica introduces draft migration law
♦ Micro-credit recipients discuss needs
♦ More than 600 refugees recognized in
Costa Rica in 2003
♦ UNHCR moves closer to asylum seekers
in Mexico
♦ Guatemala grants residence to refugees
♦ Honduras evaluates new migration law
♦ Canada shares experience with Mexico
Southern Latin America
♦ Spanish refugee law guide for parliamentarians launched
♦ UNHCR supports draft refugee law in Argentina
♦ Argentina’s asylum backlog reduced
♦ Resettlement efforts in Chile and Brazil
♦ Red Cross conference analyzes migrant
health
♦ UNHCR advises MERCOSUR on migration policies
Canada, United States and Caribbean
♦ Québec focuses on refugee resettlement
♦ “Mounties” contribute to refugee security
♦ US and Canada contributions to UNHCR
♦ Mandatory detention under “Liberty Shield”
suspended
♦ New Act to help unaccompanied children
♦ Congressional Refugee Caucus launched
♦ Dominican Republic team wins moot court
refugee case
♦ UNHCR strengthens work in Dominican
Republic
Commemorating World Refugee Day
Media Relations
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OAS adopts resolution on refugees and asylum seekers
Thirty-four states from throughout
the Americas have adopted by
general consensus a resolution
on the protection of asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, stateless and internally displaced persons during the 33rd General Assembly of the Organization of
American States (OAS) held in
Santiago de Chile from June 8 to
10, 2003.
reception of asylum seekers and
refugees, and emphasizes the importance of combating xenophobia
and racial discrimination against
these vulnerable groups. The latter
was proposed by the Mexican delegation, in line with the recommendations made at the International Conference on Racial Discrimination
held in Durban, South Africa, in
2001.
The resolution encourages the
few American states which have
not yet ratified the 1951 Refugee
Convention and its 1967 Protocol
to do so, and calls on countries to
adopt national mechanisms for
the protection of asylum seekers
and refugees in accordance with
international standards.
UNHCR’s Director for the Americas,
Hope Hanlan, said the resolution
was good news for refugees and internally displaced people in the region, taking us closer to a more
comprehensive response to the
needs of the victims of persecution
and armed conflict.
It also introduces two important
innovations: it urges states to establish specific standards for the
Thirty American states have ratified
the 1951 Refugee Convention or its
1967 Protocol. V
UNHCR expands work on Colombia’s “Caribbean Coast”
UNHCR has opened a new field
office in Barranquilla to deal with
the delicate situation of
the so-called “Caribbean
Coast”.
pulsion of large numbers of internally displaced
Continued on page 2
For many Colombians, a
reference to the
“Caribbean Coast” brings
to mind images of sun
and relaxation. It is there
where millions in Colombia laid eyes on the sea
for the first time.
Unfortunately, reality is
not so pleasant. Two
coastal provinces, or
“departments”, Magdalena and Bolivar, are
among the main producers of internally displaced
persons in Colombia.
Magdalena and Cesar are
among the departments
hosting the most displaced people.
The region saw the ex-
This settlement of displaced people in Cartagena is
one of the areas to be covered by UNHCR’s new
office (UNHCR/R. Wilkinson)
Update on
The Americas
Barranquilla office, continued from page 1
persons last year. According to official figures from the government’s
Social Solidarity Network, of the
nearly 266,700 Colombian citizens
who obtained a certificate as internally displaced people in 2002, some
63,700 had to leave their homes on
the Caribbean Coast.
The Barranquilla office will cover the
departments of Magdalena, Sucre,
Guajira, Atlántico, and the North of
the department of Bolivar. The new
field office faces enormous challenges. The number of displaced Colombians is growing in Barranquilla,
Cartagena, Santa Marta and other
cities, with little response from the
government and civil society.
Santa Marta, the capital of Magdalena department, is a touristic city
boasting beaches and crystalline water. But it also received the most displaced people in 2002, with estimates ranging from 29,000 to 39,600
displaced people in just one year, or
some 10 percent of all newly displaced people in Colombia.
Illicit crops and a military corridor to
the Atlantic deemed strategic by the
armed groups, combined with high
levels of dissatisfaction among the
local population with the government’s provision of basic services,
create an explosive mix.
Places like the Montes de Maria and
the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
are of particular concern, because of
the mix of drug trafficking and internal conflict.
Although women are by and large
the more affected group, the few initiatives that exist to help the displaced in the area lack a focus on
gender.
UNHCR’s presence in the area will
help bring more government and civil
society attention to the plight of Colombians forced to flee for their lives.
Since starting work in Colombia in
1998, UNHCR has rapidly expanded
its presence to cope with the evergrowing numbers of displaced people. In addition to its branch office in
Bogota, UNHCR now has field offices in Puerto Asis, Barrancabermeja, Apartado and Barranquilla,
plus satellite offices in Pasto and
Quibdo. V
Colombia’s indigenous peoples under threat
There are only 20,000 Sikwanis
(Guahibos) on the face of the earth:
15,000 in Colombia and 5,000 in
Venezuela. They live in the upper Orinoco, the Venezuelan region of Amazonas, and the Llanos, a vast prairie
region spanning parts of both Venezuela and Colombia. Their home region covers Apure state in Venezuela
and the department of Arauca in Colombia. The Sikwani are known for
their craftsmanship. The women
make dolls from bark and fiber, decorated with seeds. The men are accomplished wood carvers.
But their art does not protect the Sikwani from the violence of Colombia´s
internal conflict. In early May, reports
alerted to a massive displacement of
Sikwanis forced out from their homes
by clashes between FARC guerrilla
and AUC paramilitary groups.
UNHCR warned the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human
Rights of the displacement of Sikwanis in the municipality of Tame.
The indigenous affairs official in
Tame estimated the number of displaced at 400. Other Sikwanis fled to
the nearby town of Saravena. A significant number of children, pregnant
women and elderly were among the
displaced. According to indigenous
authorities, members of armed
groups raped several women and
girls.
UNHCR reiterated its concern about
the impact of the conflict on indigenous peoples and coordinated with
the Ombudsman, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and
NGOs to monitor the
situation in Tame.
UNHCR also liaised with
the Colombian government agency dealing with
internal displacement
(Social Solidarity Network) to ensure that the
affected communities received emergency assistance.
they said they felt as a consequence
of the actions of armed groups.
Embera communities in the Atrato
River area, Kogui communities in the
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and
Guambiano communities in Cauca
are other examples of indigenous at
risk in Colombia.
Continued on page 3
Sikwanis are not the only
indigenous community
under threat from the violence of Colombian
armed groups. Recently,
an entire community of
nearly 400 Tules (also
known as Kuna) asked
their kinsmen in Panama
to take them in, due to
Colombia’s indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately from
the “anguish and terror”
the conflict. (UNHCR/G. Fayoux)
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Update on
The Americas
UNHCR to advise Colombian legislators
The quality of Colombian legislation
on internal displacement and humanitarian issues stands to improve under a new agreement
signed in mid-May between the UN
refugee agency and the Colombian
Senate.
The agreement strengthens the capacity of the Senate and the Human
Rights Commission to legislate on
internal displacement issues.
UNHCR will cooperate with the
Senate and the Commission to promote and disseminate national and
international refugee and internal
displacement legislation, and will
provide advice and specialized
training on displacement for members of the Senate and other institutions. UNHCR will also advise the
Senate on designing mechanisms
to protect the rights of displaced
people, provide them with comprehensive assistance, and prevent
displacement.
UNHCR’s Representative in Colombia, Francisco Galindo, signed the
agreement with the President of the
Senate, Luis Alfredo Ramos, the
President of the Human Rights
Commission, Piedad Córdoba, and
the Vice-president of the Commission, Francisco Murgueito.
The agreement represents an important step towards the full protection of the rights of Colombia’s displaced people. UNHCR welcomes
the Senate’s and the Human Rights
Commission's commitment to take
action to prevent forced displacement and to protect and assist
those who have been forced out of
their homes by the conflict.
The UN refugee agency will also
continue to advise the Parliament
on humanitarian subjects beyond
those covered by the scope of the
agreement, providing advice both
when asked as well as independent
of specific requests. V
6,000 receive IDs in southern Colombia
Nearly 6,000 people received Colombian national identification documents through a special campaign
targeting southern Colombia in April
and May.
The individuals were able to obtain
their documents free of charge
thanks to registration teams traveling in UNHCR’s mobile registration
vehicle to areas hosting displaced
people. The teams traveled for as
many as ten hours by car and boat
to reach the most remote areas.
From April 26 to May 17, the campaign provided 3,501 ID cards for
children, 1,861 ID cards for adults,
and 532 “civil registries” (to officially
register births),
in ten municipalities in
Nariño department: Pasto,
Ricaurte,
Samaniego,
Buesaco, Ipiales, Cordova,
Taminango,
San Lorenzo,
Arboleda, and
Mosquera on
the Pacific
coast.
The campaign
was possible
through an agreement between
UNHCR and Colombia´s National
Registry, which prioritizes identification documents for displaced people,
vulnerable groups and those at risk
of displacement.
UNHCR will continue promoting
these campaigns in Nariño and elsewhere in Colombia, since proper
identification is crucial for Colombians to exercise their rights. Internally
displaced persons are particularly
disadvantaged without IDs.
Well over 100,000 Colombians have
obtained documents through the
UNHCR-sponsored campaign over
the last three years. V
Inside UNHCR’s documentation vehicle (UNHCR/P. Smith)
Colombia’s indigenous peoples, continued from page 2
UNHCR strives to help protect indigenous peoples from a conflict to
which they are not a party. Since
2001, UNHCR has worked to
strengthen the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia and local indigenous organizations to defend the interests of indigenous communities affected by
the conflict and to prevent new displacement.
Indigenous peoples also top the list
for a UNHCR / Colombian National
Registry joint campaign to provide
national ID cards to isolated communities. Without IDs, Colombians
-3-
cannot exercise their rights, including
the right to ask for government assistance when forced to leave their
homes because of the conflict.
ID cards alone do not necessarily
make indigenous peoples’ lives
safer. The war continues all around
them, and protecting indigenous peoples does not figure among the government’s priorities. But the documentation efforts and UNHCR’s continued expressions of concern for
these particularly war-affected peoples lets them know they are not
alone and helps to keep their plight
in the public spotlight. V
Update on
The Americas
Bojayá, Colombia, one year after the tragedy
One year after a massacre in Bojayá,
in western Colombia’s Chocó department, sparked large-scale displacement, some people have returned
home while the majority remain displaced and in need of assistance.
Afro-Colombian association in the
area.
work focuses on Quibdó, where
many former residents of Bojayá live
alongside other displaced people
from throughout Chocó.
Soon after the massacre, President
Andres Pastrana’s government announced the reconstruction of BelOn March 20, 2003, representatives
lavista (Bojayá’s main urban center)
On May 2, 2002, 119 civilians, inin a new locacluding 48 children, perished when a tion. The new
missile hit the church in which they
government of
had sought refuge from fighting bePresident Uribe
tween FARC guerrillas and AUC pabacked the deramilitaries. In the space of one
cision. Although
week, over 4,700 civilians fled their
US$ 2.5 million
homes.
was approved
to build houses
Now, one year later, 1,300 people
have gone back. Yet many others re- and provide
main in Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, several hours
of electricity
one of the poorest and most remote
areas of Colombia. Many remain too daily, even purchasing the
frightened and traumatized to be
land to build on
ready to return.
has proven difUNHCR and the UN system are
ficult. AuthoriBuilding a community center in Villa España (UNHCR/B. Heger)
working to help both those who
ties had promchose to go back and those who pre- ised that reconstruction would be
of the United Kingdom, the US,
fer to stay in Quibdó. It is a gigantic
completed by June 2003. However,
France, Canada, Sweden, Switzertask that, a year after the tragedy, is
by the first anniversary of the tragedy, land, Spain and The Netherlands visstill only beginning.
Vice President Francisco Santos,
ited Quibdó to see the plan in action.
pointing to government bureaucracy,
The impact of Colombia´s conflict
Officials from the Colombian governacknowledged that it would take
has long been felt in Chocó, espement, the Catholic Church and
longer to rebuild.
cially along the Atrato river. For
NGOs joined the visit, along with
years, guerrillas and paramilitaries
UNHCR reached Bojayá a week after UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, the
have been waging a war over this
UN High Commissioner for Human
the tragedy. By August, a UNHCR
waterway, the most important route
Rights, as well as IOM.
field office was operating in Quibdó.
for the trafficking of arms, drugs and
A school is being built in Barrio
After the tragedy, Chocó was chosen
contraband in north-western ColomObrero, a working-class district
bia. More than 600 people have been as one of the first regions to benefit
mostly inhabited by displaced peofrom the Humanitarian Action Plan
killed along the Atrato or its tributarple. In Villa España, young people,
designed
by
the
UN
system
to
deal
ies since 1996, according to the main
with UNHCR’s help, are themselves
with Colombia´s humanitarian crisis.
building a cultural center which when
UNHCR coordicompleted will give them a place to
nates its implelearn and grow and, hopefully, heal.
mentation, toUNHCR, UNICEF, and the Catholic
gether with
Dioceses of Quibdó are helping
OCHA. Under
the plan, UNHCR 1,200 children by training teachers
on the specific needs of displaced
helped to link up
children and strengthening schools
the communities
and parent associations. UNHCR will
and funding
also contribute to building two new
sources for a
schoolrooms this year.
fishing project to
benefit 850 fami- It is unlikely that all those who fled
lies in Bojayá itBojayá will go back. UNHCR is comself.
mitted to helping those who return to
However, a large rebuild their lives, and those who left
part of UNHCR´s for good to build new ones. V
Displaced and local Colombian children attend school in Quibdó
(UNHCR/B. Heger)
-4-
Update on
The Americas
Back to school with UNHCR
support in Panama
Youth recover from trauma
in Panama’s Darien region
New ID cards improve
protection in Ecuador
As children throughout Panama’s
Darien region prepared to head back
to school in April, the Colombian
NGO Project VIDA, with UNHCR
support, again provided its annual
support to Colombian and Panamanian schoolchildren.
Two psychological aid campaigns
so far this year have helped close to
200 children in Panama’s Darien region. The campaigns aim to improve the mental well being, protection and local integration of refugee
children.
This year, uniforms, school supplies
and books, as well as grants and literacy programs were provided in
Jaque, Yape and Boca de Cupe, in
Darien province to benefit some 800
students. These areas along the border with Colombia are host to most
of the Colombians who have sought
safety in Panama from the conflict in
their homeland.
Easing the psychological trauma
caused by the violence which accompanies displacement is one aspect of the work undertaken by the
Apostolic Vicariate of Darien,
through Project VIDA, a UNHCR implementing agency in Panama. In
many cases, forced displacement
involves the sudden rupture of families and community structures,
which can have an especially profound impact on the physical and
psychological well being of refugee
children.
New identification documents in circulation in Ecuador since February
2003 are improving and speeding up
registration for Colombian refugees
and asylum seekers. The cards are
special documents for refugees, asylum seekers, and people under temporary protection in Ecuador.
The project is part of UNHCR’s efforts to meet the special needs of
children in Darien.
UNHCR has struggled to provide legal protection for youth through promoting respect of international instruments such as the Convention
on the Rights of the Child, and the
1951 refugee convention. At the
same time, UNHCR works with
NGOs such as Project VIDA on programs to give minors access to education and to secure recognition of
their rights and needs as youth seeking protection. V
Project VIDA has enabled children
and young adolescents in the Jaque
region to share their experiences
while finding new ways to communicate, play, interact and recover from
the painful injuries and losses that
they have suffered.
Many of those seeking protection
are youth and children. The project
aims to ensure their right to a better
future and give them the resources
to construct one. V
People forced to flee their homeland
often have only one concern: to leave
as soon as possible. Frequently, personal belongings, memorabilia and
documents are lost, left behind or forgotten. Upon arrival in a new country,
identification becomes the first step
for asylum seekers or recognized
A sample of one of the new ID cards
refugees to begin integrating into
their host communities.
The new cards seek to ensure the legal protection of recognized refugees
and people seeking asylum. The
cards replaced the expensive passports and temporary certificates previously used. Refugees and asylum
seekers can obtain the cards, which
also serve as personal ID cards,
more quickly than under the previous
system. Individual documents are
provided for each family member.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs designed the documents and implements the project. The cards are being issued initially only in Quito, using
photos and data collected from refugees in the northern cities of Ibarra
and Lago Agrio, near the Colombian
border. From January through May,
6,130 people have registered.
Colombian and Panamanian schoolchildren in Darien (UNHCR/J.Clark)
-5-
Since 2000, Ecuador has received
16,000 applications for refugee
status, mostly from Colombians. The
Ecuadorian government, with the cooperation of UNHCR, is responsible
for determining refugee status in
each case. V
Update on
The Americas
More than 200 Colombians
flee to Ecuador
In May, UNHCR learned that 229
people from Teteyes in Putumayo
department in Colombia had crossed
the border and arrived in the town of
Puerto Nuevo in Ecuador’s Sucumbíos province.
Although the Colombians did not request international protection,
UNHCR traveled immediately to the
region and coordinated with the Ecuadorian Red Cross to provide humanitarian assistance. Field staff
brought aid for the host communities
as well as the newly arrived Colombians. UNHCR also organized with the
World Food Programme to provide a
month’s food rations.
UNHCR offered to transport the arrivals to existing shelters. However, as
the Colombians are staying with
friends and family members in the
border area, they prefer to remain
where they are for the time being. V
Helping Border Communities
UNHCR and its implementing partner Caritas Venezuela are carrying
out pilot community development
projects in Zulia, Táchira and Apure
states in Venezuela’s border area.
Eight projects are underway to meet
needs identified by the community
members themselves, including
health, education, water systems,
sanitation and income generation.
They help provide basic services to
improve the quality of life of the local
residents and to promote integration
of Colombians who cross the border
in search of protection.
A second phase of projects was approved in early June and will be implemented from June through December 2003. They include improvements to water systems, help
to preschools, and training and technical assistance for women in Apure
to increase the income of vulnerable
families. Health training and disease
prevention in Zulia will improve conditions in a community of 1,200 people of whom 60 percent are Colombians who have arrived in the past
four years. V
Medical aid reaches Venezuelan border zone
Desperately needed medical assistance has reached hundreds of displaced Colombians and local Venezuelans in the remote border zone in
recent months. So far this year,
UNHCR, Caritas-Venezuela and the
Venezuelan Red Cross
have organized medical
campaigns in Ureña, Zulia and Apure states.
three-month course organized jointly
with Caritas-Venezuela. The course
trained them to provide information
on disease prevention, detect common diseases, refer cases to the local medical clinic and administer first
In Ureña, some 6,000
people live in the area
targeted for medical aid.
Around 90 percent are
Colombians, many of
whom fled individual persecution or general violence in Colombia. They
live in makeshift shelters
built from bits of wood
Providing medical care in Zulia (UNHCR/D. Rochkind)
and plastic often housing
two or three families per
room. No electricity or sewage sysaid. The group will take the training
tems, temperatures as high as 35 deto other nearby communities, evengrees centigrade, precarious food
tually reaching some 5,000 people.
supplies and no option but to rely on
During the Zulia campaign, UNHCR
contaminated river water, leave the
population under constant threat from offered legal assistance to the victims of the Colombian conflict who
dengue or yellow fever, diarrhea, dehydration and malnutrition. Due to the needed legal orientation or aid, or
proximity to the border, security prob- wanted to seek asylum through
UNHCR. Information material about
lems from the presence of irregular
UNHCR’s mandate and Venezuela’s
armed actors from Colombia further
complicate the situation. There are no refugee law was also distributed.
medical facilities nearby, and it is diffi- In Apure, 600 people from Puerto Incult for people to travel without identi- fante and Mancanillar received
fication papers to obtain care.
medical assistance through donations of medical supplies to the disThe medical campaign in late February helped some 800 people, bringing pensary in Puerto Infante. As part of
a project implemented through Cariprescription medicines and vaccinattas, UNHCR donated a motor for the
ing children against the most comwater tank which provides clean wamon diseases in the area. Dental
ter for the entire host community.
care and general medical services
were also provided. Several families
At the General Hospital in Guasdualso approached UNHCR during the
alito, UNHCR helped build a milk
event to request refugee status.
bank to provide mother’s milk to
Similar campaigns took place in Zulia newborns. Abandoned or orphaned
infants can receive milk through this
and Apure to demonstrate support to
project as can infants whose moththe host communities. Six doctors
ers do not produce sufficient milk,
and 30 Red Cross volunteers particioften due to general malnutrition.
pated in the effort in El Cruce, Zulia.
UNHCR also installed water filters for
the local school to provide clean water for some 800 Colombian and
Venezuelan students.
Twenty health workers underwent a
-6-
In all three communities, the health
campaigns brought aid to Venezuelans as well as Colombians of concern to UNHCR who crossed the
border seeking safety. V
Update on
The Americas
Costa Rica introduces new
draft migration law
Costa Rica’s administration, in office
since May 2002, has withdrawn a
draft migration law presented by the
previous government and replaced it
with a new proposal which raises a
number of international refugee protection concerns.
UNHCR carefully examined the new
draft, to ensure that the future law
would be consistent with international
refugee standards. The agency identified some important points for
amendment which will be presented
to the Parliament.
One of the main concerns is the mixing of refugee status as defined in
the 1951 refugee convention with
matters of “asilo” or forms of protection under various Inter-American regional initiatives, which are not practiced by the UN system. As a result,
the text of the draft law lacks some
key international refugee protection
provisions, including the refugee
definition, refugee rights and duties,
the principle of non-refoulement, and
identification of the authority responsible for refugee status determination. The former draft law clearly distinguished between the two matters
and included a separate chapter on
refugees and one on “asilo”.
The Forum on Migrant and Refugee
Populations examined the law, gathered observations from Forum members including UNHCR, and prepared a document setting forth its official position on the project. The
document will be shared with the
parliamentary commission, and a
hearing before the commission has
also been granted.
UNHCR will also present its views directly to parliamentarians at a hearing with the commission, expected to
take place in June.
UNHCR’s comments were incorporated into the now-defunct previous
draft, and the agency hopes that its
concerns will be similarly included in
the new proposed legislation. V
First refugee micro-credit recipients discuss needs
The first 30 refugees in Costa Rica to
receive micro-credits under
UNHCR’s trust fund met in May to
share experiences and highlight the
additional support they need to make
their projects a success.
UNHCR’s implementing partner
ACAI, Asociación de Consultores y
Asesores Internacionales, organized
this first encounter of refugee microcredit beneficiaries to give them a
chance to exchange concerns and
views with each other and with ACAI
and UNHCR. The meeting also
helped find ways to better address
the difficulties that the refugees encounter as they struggle for integration in Costa Rican society.
“We are here to support you, to try to
give you some tools that will empower you in your efforts”, Gloria
Maklouf Weiss, ACAI’s Director told
the refugees in her opening speech.
Noting the unfortunate stigma often
attached to Colombians in Costa
Rica, Maklouf said, “I am sure you
will change this incorrect opinion
through your creativity and effort. You
are the ones that will show the real
values of Colombians.”
Andrés Ramírez, Head of UNHCR’s
Costa Rica office, underscored the
importance of the micro credit projects as a self reliance strategy.
The event featured a training session
on setting and successfully achieving
goals. The refugee entrepreneurs
identified problems and gaps in the
micro-credit scheme. They need
more training and closer follow up,
not only in the proposal and approval
phase but also once the activity is
running. Some basic components
like writing objectives, setting plans,
and attractive project presentation,
were among the difficulties expressed by the refugees.
For those whose projects are now
running, the main concern is how to
better promote their product. Business administration and marketing
techniques are being considered as
topics for future training sessions.
ACAI and UNHCR plan to strengthen
their involvement and follow up beyond the approval of the project.
The University of Costa Rica’s television channel filmed the day’s activities for a special program for World
Refugee Day 2003 which will highlight the micro-credit effort.
The refugees also exhibited the products, handicrafts and services produced through their enterprises.
The micro-credit project was established in December 2002, following
UNHCR’s survey on refugee integration in Costa Rica. V
More than 600 refugees recognized in Costa Rica in 2003
Costa Rica recognized 627 new refugees, over 90 percent of them Colombians, during the first four months
of 2003, while new arrivals of Colombians remained relatively low.
The 627 refugees include asylum
seekers recognized directly, family
members of refugees recognized by
extension, and appeals of previously
rejected cases. In addition to 570 Colombians recognized as refugees,
other nationalities, including Cubans
and Venezuelans, also received refugee status. This brings the number of
refugees in Costa Rica to 13,000, of
whom 7,896 are Colombians.
Meanwhile, the number of new arrivals of Colombians in the first four
months of 2003 remained low, at less
than half the number for the same
-7-
period of 2002. On average, 162 Colombian asylum seekers arrived each
month. In 2002, prior to the establishment of a visa requirement for Colombians in mid-April, the monthly
average was 386.
“The situation in Colombia has not
improved, and as a result, there will
still be Colombians in need of international protection,” explained
Andrés Ramírez, Head of UNHCR´s
Costa Rica office. “However, in Costa
Rica, the ‘visa effect’ is still being felt,
which undoubtedly has reduced the
number of Colombian asylum seekers arriving to the country.”
Asylum seekers from countries other
than Colombia increased slightly in
2003: 17 on average per month, up
from 12 monthly in 2002. V
Update on
The Americas
UNHCR moves closer to asylum seekers in Mexico
In an effort to better assist asylum
seekers in southern Mexico, UNHCR
has moved its office in Chiapas state
closer to a major border crossing
point with Guatemala.
In late April, UNHCR relocated its office within southern Chiapas state,
from Comitán to Tapachula city – the
busiest crossing point along the
southern border between Mexico and
Guatemala, and one of the most important migration routes towards the
United States. The Mexican Commission to Aid Refugees has also established an office in Tapachula.
UNHCR's presence at this border
crossing is especially pertinent now,
given the increased border security in
the wake of the September 11, 2001
attacks in the US. In 2001 alone, an
estimated 1.3 million foreigners entered Mexico legally through its
southern border, according to the Na-
tional Institute of Migration. It is difficult to estimate the number of undocumented arrivals. However, the
magnitude of the migratory movement is evident in the fact that some
150,000 undocumented migrants are
returned to their countries in Central
America from Tapachula every year
under the "safe and orderly program
of return" implemented by the government.
and support to the government to
ensure that asylum applications are
processed. The agency will also
help support the Mexican Commission to Aid Refugees, the National
Migration Institute, and nongovernmental organizations in providing legal assistance to asylum
seekers while their claims are being
processed by the government. V
While only a small percentage of these people may
be refugees or asylum
seekers, UNHCR believes
it is imperative to set up a
protection network to identify, channel and assist
people fleeing persecution.
From the new office in Tapachula, UNHCR's four
staff members will focus on
providing technical advice
Guatemala grants residence
to refugees
Honduras evaluates new
migration law
Canada shares refugee
experience with Mexico
Nearly 500 long-staying refugees in
Guatemala, most of them from El
Salvador and Nicaragua, can now receive permanent residence under a
recently-approved government resolution.
The government of Honduras is continuing the process to present to
Congress a bill on Migration and Foreigners, which includes a chapter on
asylum, refuge and statelessness.
Two experts from Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
visited Mexico in early May to provide technical assistance to the
Mexican government on refugee
status determination. The Mexican
Commission to Aid Refugees
(COMAR), the national institution in
charge of interviewing asylum seekers and determining refugee status,
invited the expert visit, following the
initiative of UNHCR which financed
the program. The two-day course
took place in the UN premises in
Mexico City. Participants included
government officials from the Refugee Status Determination Working
Group, the National Institute of Migration, and the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as
the NGO Sin Fronteras and UNHCR.
According to the new resolution, refugees who have stayed in Guatemala
for at least two years can request
and obtain a residence permit, providing that they comply with the requirements. The permit allows refugees to work legally and thus to become self-sufficient.
The resolution was drafted by the
National Refugee Council. It is the result of close collaboration between
UNHCR and the Guatemalan government to ensure equal treatment
and durable solutions for refugees
recognized by UNHCR in previous
years.
In addition to Nicaraguans and Salvadorans, refugees have come to
Guatemala from all over the world,
including from Africa, Asia and the
Middle East. V
Before sending the law for Congressional vote, the government held discussions on the draft with civil society and UNHCR in March, April and
May this year. A set of proposals and
suggestions presented by UNHCR
were accepted by the drafting committee. UNHCR and its implementing
partner CIPRODEH have been working on this initiative for several years.
It is expected that the bill will be tabled at the Congress soon.
Refugee status determination in
Honduras has been carried out by
the government in close cooperation
with CIPRODEH based on an ad hoc
governmental procedure established
in 1999. Approval of the law will constitute a step forward towards a more
universal application and implementation of international refugee law
among signatories to the 1951 refugee convention. V
-8-
The two Canadian officers also
worked with COMAR’s legal teams
and UNHCR protection staff in Tapachula, Mexico, on the border with
Guatemala. The Canadians provided
technical advice on analyzing refugee claims and preparing recommendations to the refugee status determination committee. V
Update on
The Americas
Spanish refugee law guide for parliamentarians launched
Parliamentarians in the Spanishspeaking world now have access to
guidance on international humanitarian and refugee law to assist them in
their legislative work.
The Spanish version of the Guide to
International Refugee Law was formally launched on April 10, during
the 108th Statutory Conference of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in
Santiago de Chile. The Handbook
was co-authored by the IPU and
UNHCR for the 50th anniversary of
the 1951 Refugee Convention. It was
first launched in English in March
2002. The Handbook, now translated
into 21 languages, is intended to acquaint legislators with the basic principles of international humanitarian
and refugee
law, and to encourage their
vital role in securing adherence to these
international
principles at the
national level.
The President
of the Chilean
Senate, Andrés
Zaldivar, the
President of the
IPU's Executive Committee, Sergio
Páez, Argentine Deputy Ricardo Vázquez, and UNHCR's Agni Castro-Pita
participated in the Spanish language
launch. The legislators expressed
strong support for UNHCR´s work,
called for more generous donor support, and highlighted the need to remain ready to admit refugees and offer them protection. Castro-Pita summarized current international and regional challenges facing UNHCR and
thanked Chile for its recent donation
to UNHCR.
UNHCR also participated in meetings
of Latin American and Caribbean
countries, the Committee of Women
Parliamentarians and the Committee
to Promote Respect for International
Humanitarian Law. UNHCR took part
in discussions on child trafficking, female genital mutilation, and as an
observer, on an emergency supple-
mentary item on the war in Iraq.
UNHCR´s Jose Riera joined in a
televised roundtable with Chilean
and Argentine legislators on the
commitment of States and parliaments to refugees. Mr. Riera encouraged states to ensure that postSeptember 11 migration control
measures take account of the needs
of asylum-seekers and refugees.
Over 1,200 people participated in the
conference, including parliamentary
delegations from 115 countries, the
Andean Parliament, the Central
American Parliament, the European
Parliament and the Latin American
Parliament. UNHCR participated as
one of 26 observer delegations. V
UNHCR supports drafting of
refugee law in Argentina
Argentina’s Executive branch is expected to present a new draft refugee law to the Senate in the coming
months. UNHCR legal staff have
met regularly in April and May with
the Argentine National Refugee
Committee to provide technical advice on the draft based on international asylum principles.
UNHCR supports the development
of a specific refugee law in Argentina. At the moment, Argentina’s only
legal framework is a 1985 decree
which refers to the creation of a national refugee committee but does
not contain other provisions for implementing the 1951 refugee convention. V
Argentina’s asylum backlog
reduced
A nine-month project on refugee
status determination in Argentina
comes to an end in June. Argentina's
National Refugee Committee and
UNHCR initiated the project in October 2002 to deal with a backlog of
some 2,000 pending cases. The project has slashed the backlog by half.
UNHCR is now discussing next steps
with the Secretariat. V
-9-
Resettlement efforts continue in Chile and Brazil
The latest group of refugees resettling in South America arrived in
Chile in April. The 12 refugees –
mostly Afghans but also Iraqis and
Iranians -- arrived from Azerbaijan
and Pakistan, bringing to 49 the
number of refugees resettled in Chile
since the program began in 1999.
In Brazil, the other country in South
America which receives refugees in
need of resettlement, UNHCR is currently working on a video to disseminate accurate information to refugees
potentially considered for resettlement. The video is being produced in
co-operation with governmental and
non-governmental partners. It highlights the opportunities offered by resettlement in Brazil and promotes
refugees’ understanding of the program as a means to begin new lives
and become fully participating members of the society. It also shows the
challenges which newly resettled
refugees must face, and emphasizes
the active role which refugees themselves need to play in their own integration. V
Red Cross Conference
analyzes migrant health
Migration and health issues topped
the agenda at the seventeenth Red
Cross Inter-American Conference,
held in Santiago de Chile in April.
Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining and strengthening programs to support migrant
populations. One conclusion was to
analyze the situation of the most vulnerable migrant populations and
support national Red Cross societies
interested in opening new lines of
action, in coordination with UNHCR.
Thirty-five national Red Cross societies, eight European national societies and 14 international organizations, including UNHCR, attended
the conference. UNHCR took the opportunity to liaise with national societies from the Americas to promote
co-operation with UNHCR at borders
and on the local integration of refugees. V
Update on
The Americas
UNHCR advises MERCOSUR on migration policies
In April, UNHCR provided technical
advice to MERCOSUR’s Working
Group on migration to ensure that regional migration policies adopted by
MERCOSUR countries sufficiently
consider the special needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
During the meeting, which took place
in Asunción, Paraguay, UNHCR presented a position paper in relation to
the current regional proposal to adopt
a Schengen-Dublin type transfer of
responsibility agreement, which
would assign respective state responsibilities for examining asylum
claims. UNHCR encouraged the bloc
to take into account the impact that
any course taken may eventually
have on the international protection
of refugees and asylum seekers.
MERCOSUR includes Argentina,
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and associates Bolivia and Chile. V
Québec focuses on refugee resettlement
Over 100 refugee resettlement workers developed recommendations on
refugee selection, orientation, reception, and short- and longer-term integration issues at a conference in
Québec in late May. The conference
was organized by the Québec Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Relations. It included government officials
from Québec ministries, staff of settlement service providers and representatives of the numerous organizations and groups across the province
which sponsor resettled refugees under Canada's unique private sponsorship program.
Among the themes raised was the
need for improved training of NGOs
and volunteers involved in receiving
refugees. Participants were eager to
receive more information from their
government counterparts on refu-
gees destined for resettlement in
Québec, in order to improve settlement service planning. It was suggested that a set of "best practices"
on resettlement in Québec could be
developed, using UNHCR's new Reception and Integration Handbook as
a starting point.
Each year Canada resettles around
10,000 refugees from hot spots
around the world, 25% of whom are
offered new homes in Québec.
The conference was held in TroisRivières, a small town on the St.
Lawrence river, halfway between
Montréal and Québec City. TroisRivières is one of the communities
where resettled refugees are placed
as part of the province's policy of regionalization. Québec has made a
conscious effort to disperse refugees across the province, in order to
avoid concentrating them in
Montréal, the
province's
largest and
most cosmopolitan city.
Citizens and
community
groups help
refugees adjust to their
new home.
While many
countries pursue regionalization poli-
Resettled refugee children in Québec (UNHCR/ S. Colvey)
- 10 -
“Mounties” contribute to
refugee security in Guinea
What are Royal Canadian Mounted
Police Officers (RCMP) doing in Kissidougou? You might be surprised to
come across two RCMP officers
based in a remote part of Guinea,
yet they are a concrete example of
UNHCR's partnership with the government of Canada.
Canada has a long-standing interest
in the question of how to maintain
the security and neutrality of refugee
camps and settlements to ensure
the safety of residents and aid workers. In recent years, Canada has
convened two forward-thinking workshops to consider the potential role
of international police and the military in refugee security. In early
2003, Canada loaned UNHCR the
two RCMP officers, now working in
the refugee camps in Guinea, helping to develop that country's own capacity to uphold law and order and
maintain security in these areas.
In some parts of the world, refugee
camps and settlements are fraught
with insecurity. Refugee-populated
areas have been the object of military attacks. At other times, they
may even be the source of armed
action, while refugees are also at
risk of forced military recruitment.
Sometimes they are in danger of falContinued on page 12
cies, Québec's experience is viewed
as especially successful.
In a keynote speech, UNHCR Representative in Canada Judith Kumin
outlined the global context in which
resettlement takes place, emphasizing the High Commissioner's focus
on durable solutions.
There was considerable interest in
the French version of UNHCR's new
manual entitled Refugee Resettlement: A Handbook to Guide Reception and Integration. The French
translation, generously financed by
the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration, will be available in the course of the summer. V
Update on
The Americas
Mounties in Guinea, continued from page 11
Helping the host country to shoulder
its responsibilities for refugee security is a primary objective of this proactive partnership between Canada,
UNHCR and the Republic of
Guinea. V
ling under the control of people suspected of crimes against humanity
and subjected to serious violations of
international humanitarian law. The
security of refugee women and children can be especially precarious.
Local populations may also feel unsafe, and the safety of humanitarian
workers can be jeopardized.
been in Guinea for half a year. They
are helping the Guinean Mixed Brigade (composed of national police
and gendarmerie officers) carry out
their operations. One of the RCMP
officers' main efforts is to share their
own experience in community policing approaches with their Guinean
counterparts, and help adapt this
notion to the refugee camp context.
The two RCMP officers have now
Their first
task was to
visit all the
refugee
camps
around the
country,
meet their
Guinean
counterparts
and UNHCR
teams, and
undertake a
comprehensive assessment of the
security
Security issues are crucial for refugees in Guinea, like these Liberians in
situation.
Canada's financial
support for UNHCR
During the first half of 2003,
Canada contributed US$19.1
million to UNHCR's programs –
more than the total amount
contributed in all of 2002.
Canada made its unearmarked
"core" contribution of US$7.48
million early this year, so that
UNHCR could put the funds to
work immediately where they
were most needed.
Other contributions went to
refugees all over the map -from the Great Lakes region of
Africa to Central Asia, and from
Southeastern Europe and the
Middle East. V
Kountaya camp (UNHCR/D. Marie)
2003 Americas Funding Overview (in US Dollars as of 12 June 2003)
Annual Programme Budget
Americas
N. America &
Caribbean
Central
America
South
America
SUBTOTAL
2003 EXCOM budget
6,368,578
4,980,892
14,326,020
25,675,490
2003 Revised budget
6,368,578
5,204,320
14,469,592
26,042,490
Private Donors Italy
285,486
285,486
España con ACNUR
402,959
402,959
Germany
294,464
294,464
Norway
273,973
273,973
228,050
912,201
1,140,251
2003 Earmarked contributions
Sweden
USA
1,750,000
250,000
200,000
1,667,000
3,867,000
TOTAL Earmarked Contributions
1,750,000
250,000
428,050
3,836,083
6,264,133
4%
8%
27%
24%
% of 2003 revised budget
- 11 -
Update on
The Americas
Mandatory detention under “Liberty Shield” suspended
Asylum seekers mandatorily detained under the US government’s
Operation Liberty Shield are now eligible for release after certain aspects
of the initiative were suspended in
late April. The suspension followed
the end of the major hostilities in Iraq
and the government’s downgrading
of the threat level in the US.
The Department of Homeland Security initiated Operation Liberty Shield
in March 2003, including a provision
directed specifically at asylum seekers in the US. The plan provided that
"asylum applicants from nations
where al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda sympathizers, and other terrorist groups are
known to have operated will be detained for the duration of their processing period..." The policy intended
to cover asylum applicants from over
30 countries and territories.
letter signed by the High Commissioner and in a press release appealing for the protection of asylum
seekers in the US. While understanding the exceptional circumstances of war time, UNHCR stated
that it could be a violation of international norms to mandatorily detain
entire categories of asylum seekers,
based solely on their nationality, and
without assessing an individual’s security risk.
In his letter, Mr. Lubbers underscored that: “Detention of asylumseekers should be the exception, not
the rule and should be based on an
individualized assessment of the security risk the person poses.”
Those detained under Operation Liberty Shield may now be considered
for release under previous parole
policies. V
UNHCR expressed its concern in a
Additional US contribution to UNHCR
US Congressional Refugee
Caucus Launched
On 21 May, during a meeting
with High Commissioner Ruud
Lubbers in Washington, DC,
US Secretary of State Colin
Powell announced a contribution of US$85 million to
UNHCR.
A new caucus in the US Congress
will focus attention and support on
refugee issues.
This latest contribution brings
the total US contribution in
2003 to US$255.3 million.
Some US$75 million will go towards annual programs while
US$10 million has been earmarked for the Afghanistan
Supplementary Program. At
least US$34 million will be directed towards operations in
Africa, while another US$13.5
million will be used in Europe,
and US$15.2 million in South
Asia.
Traditionally UNHCR’s largest
government donor, the US has
funded an average of 25 percent of UNHCR’s annual
budget. V
The Bipartisan Congressional Refugee Caucus was launched on April
9 with remarks by the four founding
co-chairs: Congressman John
Conyers of Michigan, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California,
Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen of Florida and Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey.
The creation of this caucus, which
has attained 34 members, will continue the long tradition of US government generosity toward refugees and allow UNHCR the opportunity to further its partnership with
the Congress on refugee assistance.
UNHCR hopes this body, like the
Hunger Caucus before it, will be a
decisive and dynamic forum to
raise timely discussion and mobilize
support for key refugee operations
worldwide. V
- 12 -
New legislation to help unaccompanied children
New legislation, introduced in Congress on May 22, could improve
treatment and protection for unaccompanied children, including asylum seekers, arriving in the United
States. The Unaccompanied Alien
Child Protection Act of 2003 would
establish minimum standards for the
custody and care of unaccompanied
children who arrive in the US, create
alternatives to detaining children in
jail-like facilities, and ensure that
children have access to legal counsel and guardians.
“Several thousand unaccompanied
children, many in need of refugee
protection, come to the United
States each year. Some flee human
rights abuses and armed conflict in
their homelands,” explained Guenet
Guebre-Christos, UNHCR’s Regional Representative in Washington, DC. “The US asylum system is
extremely complex. Giving vulnerable children much needed legal assistance and guardians will help ensure that their asylum claims are
heard and determined fairly and that
their best interests are held paramount.”
UNHCR has been awaiting eagerly
the introduction of the bill as a positive measure to strengthen the protection of refugee minors and other
children of concern in the US.
UNHCR is pleased that the Act
would release children to family
members or other responsible
adults or house them in appropriate
settings. They would be held in detention only in exceptional circumstances.
The Act builds on the Homeland Security Act passed last year, which
transferred the care and custody of
unaccompanied children from the
Immigration and Naturalization
Service to the Department of Health
and Human Services’ Office of
Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
UNHCR strongly supports the transfer, as ORR with its decades of experience is particularly well-suited to
meet the needs of unaccompanied
children seeking asylum. V
Update on
The Americas
Dominican Republic team wins moot court refugee case
Five young people from the Dominican Republic won the 2002 Eduardo
Jimenez de Arechaga InterAmerican Human Rights Competition, arguing a moot court case focused on asylum and refugee law.
The five law students from the
Autonomous University of Santo Domingo -- Esther Reyes, Heidi Bello,
Samuel Castillo, Jonathan Baró and
Julio José Rojas Báez – were the
first team to represent the Dominican Republic in the annual competition. The self-sponsored team traveled to Costa Rica to compete in the
finals against nine other Latin American countries -- Colombia, Costa
Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama,
El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala,
and Argentina.
The competition focuses on the Inter-American system and is organized by the Costa Rican Association
of International Law (ACODI) in coordination with the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and the InterAmerican Institute of Human Rights.
Competition participants are students from universities throughout
Latin America. National qualifying
rounds select each country’s representing team. The final round takes
place at the seat of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights in
San Jose. Participating teams prepare written briefs on a fictitious
case involving alleged violations of
the American Convention and present oral arguments at a simulated
hearing of the Inter-American Court
in which they represent either the
Commission or the State.
In 2002, UNHCR proposed that the
annual competition focus on the
rights of refugees. UNHCR’s Regional Legal Unit in Costa Rica collaborated with the Inter-American
Court in drafting the case and also
provided part of the funding for the
competition.
The case involved two asylum seekers and their child who are detained
and undergo refugee status determination. They are then excluded from
refugee status and are pending deportation when they lodge a petition
before the Inter-American Commission. The Commission, in turn,
brings the case to the Court.
The case required teams to base
their arguments on international
refugee and human rights law.
Teams had to rely in particular on
the American Convention on Human
Rights which recognizes the right to
seek and be granted asylum and the
right not to be returned to persecution (non-refoulement). They could
also draw on case law from the Inter-American Court and Commission
as well as jurisprudence from the
European Court and the UN Committee against Torture.
UNHCR staff helped judge the preliminaries, semi-finals and finals.
The competition provided a unique
opportunity to promote international
refugee law. It demonstrated how
refugee protection can be strengthened by integrating international
refugee law and human rights standards. It also showed how refugee
rights can be protected through recourse by individuals and NGOs to
international human rights supervisory bodies such as the InterAmerican Commission and Court. V
UNHCR strengthens work in Dominican Republic
UNHCR is deploying a staff member
to the Dominican Republic to
strengthen protection in the country,
and assist the government in dealing
with a growing backlog of asylum
claims.
The Dominican Republic already receives the largest numbers of asylum-seekers and refugees of any
state in the Caribbean. The deteriorating situation in Haiti raises the
possibility of a mass influx of Haitian
asylum seekers.
The Dominican Republic government
estimates that about 10 refugee
claims are submitted each month. A
backlog of some 200 pending cases
has developed in the absence of
processing by the government when
UNHCR and its NGO partner
stopped processing cases in 2000.
Although relatively small in global
terms, these numbers are significant
in the context of the Caribbean and
Dominican Republic.
The new UNHCR staff member, a
Junior Professional Officer, will work
under the supervision and with the
support of UNHCR’s Regional Office
in Washington. The officer will help
the government streamline reception and processing of asylum
claims, consider and decide claims,
and provide proper documentation
and work authorization for recognized refugees. UNHCR’s increased
presence will also help monitor the
situation in Haiti to provide early
warning for any potential refugee influx. The individual will also develop
- 13 -
a network among civil society to support refugees and assist in their protection.
Another serious issue is the question
of documentation for children born in
the Dominican Republic to Haitian
parents, and others whose citizenship status is unclear. UNHCR, under its statelessness mandate, will
work with governmental and nongovernmental interlocutors to decide
how most usefully to address this issue.
With the goodwill of the government,
the new staff member will provide a
much-needed on-the-ground presence and will represent a major step
forward in helping the government
meet its international obligations. V
Update on
The Americas
Commemorating World Refugee Day in the Americas
June 20, 2003 is World Refugee Day, focusing this year on refugee youth. Following is a selection of events
organized by UNHCR to mark the day throughout the Americas.
Canada - Commuters in Ottawa will
see a special ad in either English or
French in their buses. 75,000 households will receive a letter encouraging
them to log on to www.unhcr.org to
learn more about the plight of refugees, and to make a donation to
UNHCR's programs. In Toronto,
UNHCR and Canadian aid agencies
will host over 700 people at an event
featuring a free screening of a new
IMAX film as well as educational displays, music and a refugee photo exhibit. Festivities include appearances
by Canadian music and sport celebrities, including Right to Play Athlete
Ambassador Marnie McBean, threetime Olympic gold medallist.
Geographic Explorers Hall in Washington, DC. Other Caribbean states
will mark the day with radio and TV
spots and other events.
Mexico and Central America - A
special festival dedicated to and performed by refugees and former refugees will be held at the Refugee Park
in Mexico City, with arts and crafts
displays, food, and musical performances. The photo exhibit “Arrancados
de raíz” features Colombian refugees
and displaced people. Roundtables
on refugee legislation with academics,
government agencies and other experts will also take place. In Belize, a
refugee fair, radio broadcasts, photo
exhibits, school events and an essay
World Refugee Day ads are appearing in Ottawa’s buses in June.
United States - Together with the
National Geographic Society, the
Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts, and the Jane Goodall Institute,
UNHCR will sponsor refugee performances, exhibits, discussion panels, congressional activities, a poster
contest and a staging of a drama,
Children of War. UNHCR Goodwill
Ambassador Angelina Jolie will
launch the celebrations accompanied
by a senior government official and a
refugee youth. Refugee singers,
dancers, musicians and comedians
from all over the world will provide
three days of free performances for
the public at the Kennedy Center and
the National Geographic Museum.
The Caribbean - UNHCR launched
a poster contest for schoolchildren in
the Caribbean for the first time this
year. Winners from Jamaica, Dominica, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines will receive educational games
during events in schools on the day.
The winning entries will be displayed
with the US winners at the National
contest are on the agenda. Honduras
is issuing a lottery bill dedicated to
World Refugee Day and will broadcast radio & TV shows on refugees.
Special fora on refugee youth will be
held at universities in Nicaragua.
Costa Rica - The day will feature
concerts, dances, theater productions, refugee craft exhibits, roundtables, information booths at universities, and a special television program
on refugee integration.
Colombia - The Spanish version of
the documentary “Desplazados”, featuring Angelina Jolie, will be broadcast for the first time on national TV.
A video about displaced youth will be
shown in 500 schools throughout the
country. Press events will focus on
displaced youth issues and an OpEd
by the Representative will be published. The award-winning film “La
primera noche” about forced displacement will be shown. Photo and
poster exhibits as well as theater and
musical performances will feature
- 14 -
displaced youth. A street parade in
Quibdó and mural painting by 150
children in Puerto Asis are among
activities in the field. The day will be
launched at the World Social Thematic Forum in Cartagena.
Venezuela - An educational magazine for high school students will feature articles about UNHCR's work
with young refugees. A workshop for
high school teachers will focus on
refugees. Movie theaters in Venezuela’s main cities will show UNHCR
public service announcements.
Three photo exhibits and three classical concerts will also take place in
major cities. Media events and a
marathon dedicated to young refugees round out the celebrations.
Ecuador - The day will feature cultural activities including a photo exhibit, a cinema festival featuring films
by refugee directors and an essay
writing contest, as well as sporting
events and arts and crafts festivals.
Panama - Activities have been organized in Yape, Boca de Cupe, Meteti and Jaque in Darien province, including visits to host community
schools, a drawing, writing and painting contest, a photo exhibit, sporting
events, and the creation of murals in
educational centers and churches.
Special radio spots will be broadcast.
Peru - World Refugee Day will be
highlighted in the local media, including an interview with UNHCR’s Regional Representative. An art exhibit
on refugees and displaced people
will open on the day.
Southern Latin America - Media
and publicity campaigns are planned
throughout the region. In Argentina, a
public service announcement produced by Young&Rubicam will run on
public networks and cable television
channels throughout June, and
15,000 World Refugee Day postcards will be distributed. Five photo
exhibits will be held in Argentina and
Bolivia, including one on Colombian
refugees and displaced people. Celebrations and cultural events are also
planned, and refugees in Chile will
perform in a play. V