FC Barcelona and UNHCR

Briefing notes

FC Barcelona and UNHCR

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

18 January 2008 Also available in:

Next week, UNHCR will sign an agreement with the Barcelona Football Club (FC Barcelona), one of the world's most famous sport associations.

The main objective of the agreement is to raise public awareness of the protection needs of refugees and other uprooted people around the world and to underscore the importance of sport as a tool for education and social inclusion. As a first step, UNHCR and FC Barcelona will carry out a number of projects to help refugees in Ecuador, Nepal and Rwanda.

Geneva media are invited to attend the signing ceremony on Tuesday (22 January) at 2:30 p.m. at the UNHCR Headquarters building in Geneva. The agreement will be signed by Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.