UNHCR Executive Committee next week

The weeklong annual meeting of UNHCR's governing Executive Committee begins Monday morning (Oct. 1) at 10 a.m. in the Assembly Hall with opening statements by High Commissioner António Guterres and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

While the first day's session will be held in the Assembly Hall, the meeting will move on Tuesday to Conference Room XVII and remain there for the rest of the week.

Currently made up of 72 member States, 'ExCom' meets in Geneva annually to review and approve UNHCR's programmes and budget; advise on international protection; and discuss a wide range of other issues with UNHCR and its intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

Copies of the opening remarks will be available Monday morning and we'll issue a press release on Mr. Guterres' speech. On Monday evening, you're invited to the 2007 Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony in the UNHCR atrium at 1830 hours. As announced recently, this year's award goes to Katrine Camilleri, a 37-year-old lawyer from Malta who has demonstrated her dedication to helping refugees arriving in Malta, not only in a decade of work with the Jesuit Refugee Service but in her determination to continue in the face of threats that included an arson attack on her car and home. Ms. Camilleri is also available for interviews if you let us know.

The annual report on international protection - a global review of current refugee/asylum challenges and successes - will be presented late Wednesday or early Thursday by Assistant High Commissioner Erika Feller. We'll also issue a press release on her speech.

UNHCR's new biennial budget for 2008-09 will be presented on Thursday ($2,229.86 million over two years for annual programmes).

Throughout the week, a series of side events examining specific issues and operations will be held in Room XXIII. They include displacement in Iraq (Monday at 13:30); mixed migration in the Mediterranean (Tuesday at 09:00); and displaced populations and peace efforts in Africa (Thursday at 13:30).

High Commissioner Guterres will give a briefing here in Salle 3 at 1300 hours on Friday, at the conclusion of the annual session.