Welcome Address by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the 7th Biennial World Conference of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges, Mexico City, 6 November 2006

(video recording)

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to address you on the occasion of the 7th World Conference of the Association. UNHCR has been a partner of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges since its creation in 1997, and we have since worked together on all five continents.

The IARLJ is a truly unique organization, gathering judges from around the globe with the goal of promoting a common understanding and application of refugee law principles.

In this globalised world, State borders no longer contain judicial decisions: judgements travel. Establishing best practices among judges, who are empowered to deliver protection to refugees when other officials might have initially failed to do so, is one of the tremendous qualities of the IARLJ.

This year, UNHCR and the IARLJ worked together to create a new African Chapter, and I congratulate the IARLJ and President Justice North, for this achievement. UNHCR also looks forward to collaborating with the IARLJ, in 2007, on the training programme for refugee law judges in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Africa and the CIS both generate and face mixed flows of economic migrants and refugees. Indeed, people travel, just like legal judgements.

That is why the theme chosen for this year's Conference, "Forced Migration and the Advancement of International Protection", is extremely timely. How to ensure that States taking steps to manage their borders are also taking measures to identify persons in need of international protection? The question is not merely legalistic. When tens of thousands of people, including women and children, fall victim to traffickers every year, and when an unknown number drown every year trying to cross the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Aden or the Caribbean, the question has enormous humanitarian implications.

My Office has recently developed a Ten-Point Plan of Action which sets out measures that can help preserve asylum when they are incorporated into migration procedures. The Plan illustrates UNHCR's commitment to working with States to address protection concerns in the context of mixed population flows.

" The 10-Point Plan illustrates UNHCR's commitment to working with States to address protection concerns in the context of mixed population flows."

UNHCR and judges have a distinct yet complementary role to play in refugee status determination procedures. When judges adjudicate an asylum claim they are determining who is in need of protection on their territory, acting as a safeguard on the legitimate migration policies of States. And even though refugee status determination is primarily the responsibility of States, UNHCR processed refugee applications in 78 countries last year, many of which experience mixed migration flows.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish I were physically present for your discussions. Our Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ms Erika Feller, is with you today and I encourage you to engage her in discussions about how judges can play an enlightening role at the nexus of refugee and migration movements.

I wish you every success with the Conference and look forward to continued collaboration with the IARLJ.

Thank you.