Thursday, December 12, 2024

Belize attends High-Level Segment on Statelessness and 70th Session of the Executive Commission of the High Commissioner’s Programme

Share

Geneva, Switzerland. October 10, 2019. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Patrick Andrews headed Belize’s delegation to the High-Level Segment on Statelessness (HLS) and the 70th Session of the Executive Commission (ExCom) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Programme. The events are being held from the 7th to 11th October 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The HLS marks the midpoint of the UNHCR’s #IBelong campaign to end statelessness by 2024. Belize is party to both international conventions on statelessness and was recognised during a HLS side event for acceding to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2015. Furthermore, Belize submitted concrete pledges on actions to be taken within its jurisdiction to address statelessness.
Belize shared its complex experience arising from its proximity to countries with high emigration rates, underscoring climate change as an important contributing factor to the growing trend of forced displacement, particularly for Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal regions. Belize emphasized its continued commitment to regional programmes such as the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework to address migration and refugee challenges. Belize reiterated its readiness to continue cooperating with international partners to address these issues and thanked the UNHCR for the invaluable assistance it has provided to all stakeholders in Belize.
CEO Patrick Andrews was supported at the 70th Session of ExCom by Mr. Raineldo Urbina, First Secretary at the Embassy of Belize in Brussels.

Read more

 

Please help support Local Journalism in Belize

For the first time in the history of the island's community newspaper, The San Pedro Sun is appealing to their thousands of readers to help support the paper during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1991 we have tirelessly provided vital local and national news. Now, more than ever, our community depends on us for trustworthy reporting, but our hard work comes with a cost. We need your support to keep delivering the news you rely on each and every day. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Please support us by making a contribution.

Local News