G-8 dedicates concert to UNHCR

On Saturday, 19 June, at the G-8 summit in Cologne, the G-8 dedicated a concert by the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra to UNHCR and to refugees in the Balkans. In front of a packed house and in the presence of the seven other heads of state and government, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder thanked UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata for her organization's ceaseless efforts on behalf of the world's refugees.

The proceeds of the concert, around 250,000 DM, will be donated to UNHCR for programmes to assist refugees and displaced persons from Kosovo.

The High Commissioner expressed UNHCR's sincere thanks for this generosity. She recalled that there are around 23 million refugees in the world and appealed for those on other continents not to be forgotten.

On Sunday 20 June, which was Africa Refugee Day, the High Commissioner left for a week-long trip to Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.