Norwegian royal visit to UNHCR headquarters on Tuesday

The King and Queen of Norway are scheduled to make an official visit to UNHCR's headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday, 4 April, when they will be briefed on current humanitarian challenges by UNHCR, OCHA [UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] and ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross].

Norway and UNHCR have a longstanding relationship. Norway played a crucial role in the development of the international refugee system during the 20th century, providing the first-ever High Commissioner for Refugees, Fridtjof Nansen - widely regarded as a founding figure for refugee protection.

Norway is a strong supporter of the UN refugee agency, both in terms of its consistently generous funding - contributing US$62.78 million in 2005 making it the agency's sixth largest donor - but also as a resettlement country accepting refugees. UNHCR also works closely with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in many parts of the world and has signed a framework agreement for an operational partnership with them under which NRC provides UNHCR with staff for emergency deployment.