Geneva hosts top-level UNHCR meeting
Ministers from signatory states of the UN convention on refugees are meeting in Geneva as part of the treaty's 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Swiss justice minister, Ruth Metzler, who is presiding over the proceedings, emphasised the unique status of the convention, which has not changed since it came into effect 50 years ago.
“There is no other treaty which provides equal protection to refugees,” she told the more than 120 delegates present at the two-day conference, which is co-hosted by the Swiss government and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
She added that refugees and asylum seekers faced new problems, such as , the tightening of asylum laws in industrialised countries and the increased security since the September 11 attacks in the United States.
“The fight against terrorism must not be to the disadvantage of refugees and people who need protection,” she said.
On the issue of terrorism, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, said countries had to set aside their fear about refugees and give asylum seekers the protection they are entitled to.
“We must overcome this fear. Political leaders are no leaders when they fuel anti-foreigner and anti-refugee sentiments, contributing to the cycle of fear and mistrust,” he said.
Important global meeting
Furthermore Lubbers described the plenary session as “the most important global meeting on refugees since the convention was first drawn up 50 years ago.”
The Australian immigration minister, Philip Ruddock, who has clashed with Lubbers in the past over Canberra’s tough stance in turning away boat people, was among the ministers attending the meeting.
He made no apologies for his government’s line on immigration, but said Australia was fully behind the convention. “We strongly believed in the principles of the convention when we signed, and we still believe in them,” he said.
He added the refugee flows were part of a global people movement that needs solutions the convention did not provide.
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