Podcast: Download the keynote audio podcast from this event here.
About the Speech:
There are more than 16.5 million refugees in the world today and policymakers continue to rely upon the 1951 Convention as a tried and tested guide in their responses to refugees. This requires the commitment of States and the support of civil society. With the adoption of the New York Declaration, States recognised that displacement is a reality in the modern world that needs to be addressed in a more comprehensive, equitable, and thoughtful manner. The New York Declaration represents a sea change in the international approach to refugee situations, and opens up possibilities for strengthened engagement with a broad range of public and private actors to ensure a more timely and predictable support for refugees and the communities that host them.
This event was part of the 2017 Development Matters series, which the IIEA is co-hosting with Irish Aid.
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About the Speaker:
Volker Türk is UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, having previously served as the Director of the Division of International Protection from September 2009 to February 2015. From April 2008 to September 2009, he was Director for Organisational Development and Management in Geneva, leading UNHCR’s structural and management change process. From 2004 to March 2008, he occupied various positions in many parts of the world, including in Malaysia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kuwait. From 2000 to 2004, he was Chief of the Protection Policy and Legal Advice Section at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, which had particular responsibilities for the Global Consultations process. Prior to his time with UNHCR, Volker Türk worked as University Assistant at the Institute of International Law at the University of Vienna. From 1985 to 1988, he was Research Assistant at the Institute of Criminal Law at the University of Linz.
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