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George Okoth-Obbo and Volker Turk appointed as new Assistant High Commissioners for Refugees

Briefing notes

George Okoth-Obbo and Volker Turk appointed as new Assistant High Commissioners for Refugees

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
13 February 2015

UNHCR has two new Assistant High Commissioners for Refugees. These are George Okoth-Obbo, who prior to the changes was Director of UNHCR's Africa Bureau and will now be Assistant High Commissioner for Operations; and Volker Turk who was Director of the Division of International Protection and will now be Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. The announcement of these positions was made at UN Headquarters in New York Yesterday by the Secretary-General's Spokesperson.

The new Africa Bureau Director and a new Director of International Protection are, respectively, Valentin Tapsoba (currently UNHCR's Representative in Ethopia), and Carol Batchelor (currently UNHCR's Representative in Turkey).