High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, 2009
Challenges for People of Concern to UNHCR in Urban Settings
© UNHCR/B. Heger
The third High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges took place on 9-10 December 2009 in Geneva and focused on the hurdles faced by people of concern to UNHCR in cities and other urban settings.
The Dialogue included a mix of plenary and working group sessions. Participants were encouraged to engage in free-flowing discussion and debate. Invitations were extended to member states of UNHCR's governing Executive Committee and to observers to its Standing Committee; states with a special interest in the topic; municipal authorities; non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations; experts and people of concern to UNHCR in urban settings.
The Dialogue was preceded on 8 December by a roundtable meeting with mayors from some 20 major cities hosting sizeable refugee populations around the world. This invitation-only meeting promoted a free and frank discussion on "Humanitarian Challenges in the Context of Urbanization." It highlighted specific areas of concern and identified areas of good practice. As in previous years, the Dialogue was not structured to elicit formal or agreed outcomes. The High Commissioner delivered a summary of the discussions and proposed elements for follow up deriving from them.
High Commissioner's Dialogue: "Challenges for Persons of Concern in Urban Settings"
Third meeting, Geneva, 9-10 December 2009, Room XIX, Palais des Nations
- Draft Agenda: High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, Third Meeting (9-10 December 2009, Palais des Nations, Room XIX)
Also available in French - Challenges for Persons of Concern to UNHCR in Urban Settings, 26 November 2009
- Inter-Agency Standing Committee Initial Strategy Paper: Meeting Humanitarian Challenges in Urban Areas, November 2009
- Information Note and Registration Form: High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, Third Meeting
- Concept Paper High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges: Challenges for Persons of Concern to UNHCR in Urban Settings
Roundtable of Mayors: "Humanitarian Challenges in the Context of Urbanization"
Geneva, 8 December 2009, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Room XXVII, Palais des Nations
- Draft Annotated Agenda: Roundtable of Mayors: Humanitarian Challenges in the Context of Urbanization
- Inter-Agency Standing Committee Initial Strategy Paper: Meeting Humanitarian Challenges in Urban Areas, November 2009
- Information Note and Registration Form, Roundtable of Mayors
Challenges for Persons of Concern to UNHCR in Urban Settings
4 December 2009. Also available in French.
Reports and Follow-up
- Refugee Education in Urban Settings (prepared for the 2010 UNHCR Annual Consultations with NGOs, Geneva, 29 June to 1 July 2010) 29 Jun 2010
- 47th Meeting of the Standing Committee: High Commissioner's 2009 Dialogue on Protection Challenges - Challenges for Persons of Concern in Urban Settings. Presentation by Volker Türk, Director, Division of International Protection, Geneva, 4 March 2010 4 Mar 2010
- Report of the High Commissioner's 2009 Dialogue on Urban Settings 1 Mar 2010
2009 Dialogue: Related Themes
The following links are intended to enable participants to understand and navigate through the complex topic of challenges to persons of concern in cities and urban settings.
- Identification and Outreach
- Protection
- Solutions
- Women and Children
- Education
- Health
- Livelihoods
- Shelter
Adapting to Urban Displacement: Forced Migration Review, Issue 34
The latest issue of Forced Migration Review focuses on urban displacement, with articles by a number of UNHCR officials, including High Commissioner António Guterres. Other writers include UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka (external link).
2009 Dialogue: Literature Review
A review of available literature on persons of concern in urban settings.
