Excellencies;

Distinguished delegates,

Fellow NGO and UNHCR Colleagues,

Born from World War II, UNHCR was given its first task of shining a light of hope on the hopeless. Putting people first’, UNHCR contributed to a new world arising out of global migration, defining decades of multiculturalism to come.

This year, we’ve returned to that original mandate of Putting People First.

This statement was drafted through a wide consultation with NGOs and attempts to reflect a diversity of views.

Message from Executive Director

Feeling the heat Conversations about weather are no longer small talk.

Intense heatwaves across much of the Northern hemisphere with record temperatures from Algeria to the Artic are a reminder of the need to keep the Paris Agreement’s temperature limit to 1,5 °C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Tropical regions are facing even greater challenges. They are the most affected. Drought and extreme heat conditions will intensify with increasing warming.

The Annual Consultations between UNHCR and NGOs represent the largest global opportunity for NGOs to exchange views on forced displacement with UNHCR and peers. Held in Geneva from 27-29 June, the 2018 meeting included 523 participants from 287 organisations and 88 countries.

What is the Triple Nexus?