High Commissioner of UNHCR comes to Venezuela to strengthen joint cooperation

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Barham Salih, arrived early this Friday morning in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on a working visit to strengthen cooperation.

During their stay in the Latin American nation, the authority of the multilateral agency will hold meetings with senior authorities of the Venezuelan State.

The High Commissioner met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Félix Plasencia González, in New York, United States, in the framework of the 81st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), where they ratified their commitment to strengthening joint cooperation.

Among the issues addressed during the meeting, the strengthening of collaboration between the National Commission for Refugees (CONARE) and the UNHCR stands out, as well as the possibility of developing new initiatives and joint work plans to expand the mechanisms for the care and protection of refugees, in line with the humanist vision of the Venezuelan State and with the purpose of deepening cooperation with the multilateral organization.

After the earthquakes that occurred last June 24 in the South American nation, UNHCR mobilized personnel and resources in the face of the contingency. The UN agency has maintained a continuous presence in Venezuela since 1991 and currently has offices in Caracas, Maracaibo and San Cristóbal, in addition to leading the Thematic Protection Group in the country.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum in the event of persecution. In addition, in its article 69, the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela recognizes and guarantees the right to asylum and refuge.