Annual NGO-UNHCR consultations start tomorrow

The 2008 annual consultations between UNHCR and its non-governmental partners will begin tomorrow here in Geneva, bringing together some 200 NGOs for three days of talks on a variety of issues ranging from the protection of refugee women and children at risk to the monitoring of refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants in detention.

In total, 360 delegates are expected to attend the consultations at the International Conference Centre in Geneva. The event will be opened tomorrow by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and closed by UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Friday 27 June at the Palais des Nations.

The consultations provide an important international forum for the non-governmental sector to raise issues, to network and exchange views with UNHCR. Many of discussions later materialize on the agenda of the Executive Committee - UNHCR's governing body.

On a more artistic note, if you're interested in discovering the world though the lenses of refugee children photographers, you won't want to miss a stunning photo exhibition, "Do You See What I See?" which will be launched tomorrow (June 25) at the Palais des Nations by Mr. Guterres.

Through this unique project, two dozen refugee children in Yemen and Namibia had the opportunity to attend a two-week photo workshop and learn how to take pictures under the supervision of a professional photographer, Brendan Bannon. A selection of 30 pictures, showing the daily lives of these refugee children, their dreams and concerns, will also be shown in Namibia and Yemen in the presence of the children themselves. It will also be exhibited in other centres around the world.