Statement from the High Commissioner on the Biden inauguration

I warmly congratulate U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on taking office following their inauguration in Washington, DC today.

Long a strong advocate for refugees, Mr. Biden has made important commitments to restoring the U.S. refugee resettlement program and ensuring that human rights and humanitarian values are at the center of the U.S. asylum system.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has enjoyed robust and steadfast support from the government and people of the United States for over seventy years. That support and partnership are as important as ever as we seek to provide protection and aid to the more than 80 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes, and find solutions to their displacement.

We look forward to deepening the strong and trusted partnership with the United States, and to working with the new Administration and Congress to address the many challenges of forced displacement around the world.