High Commissioner to visit the United States

High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers leaves this weekend for a five-day mission to the United States. He will be in Washington, DC from 16-19 May; this will be the first of his annual visits which are usually twice yearly. Some of the key highlights of this mission will be meetings with the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Gene Dewey and senior US State Department staff, and key US Senators. On the 18th, Mr. Lubbers will be speaking at the plenary session of the 2004 InterAction Forum and hosting a press conference at the National Press Club later that day. On the 19th, the HC will also be presenting a speech at the US Secretary of State's "Open Forum" then continuing up to New York.

Following his mission to Washington, D.C., the High Commissioner will take the opportunity to stop briefly through New York in order to brief the Security Council. Pakistan, a major refugee hosting country, currently holds the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of May. Among other issues, the High Commissioner will brief the Council on his recent missions to West Africa, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.