No. 5, Fall, 2003 LATEST DEVELOPMENTS UNHCR mourns loss of Sergio Vieira de Mello and other UN ♦ UNHCR mourns loss of Sergio Vieira de colleagues Mello and other UN colleagues Colombia Situation UNHCR staff (UNOHCI) since last ♦ An alliance is born in Colombia members around April. ♦ IDP return in Colombia: Breaking the the world mourn blockage in Cugucho UNHCR offices across the loss of UN col- the Americas joined ♦ Child pedagogy and protection project leagues killed in reaches the heart of Colombia other UN agencies in Baghdad on organizing memorial ♦ United Nations Volunteers in the Colombia August 19. High operation ceremonies. In Commissioner ♦ F1 racer experiences fast-track documen- Argentina, nearly 100 tation for displaced Colombians Ruud Lubbers people turned up at an expressed his ♦ Peruvian Congress approves bill on IDPs ecumenical ceremony shock and grief at ♦ Ecuador striving to keep up with growing held on UNHCR refugee applications the tragic death of Sergio Vieira de Mello premises. The ♦ Venezuela establishes Refugee Commis- Secretary-General (OHCHR) Brazilian Ambassador sion Kofi Annan's and Sergio Vieira de ♦ Refugee children can expect to receive Special Representative for Iraq, Mello’s friends and colleagues greater protection in Venezuela Sergio Vieira de Mello and other also emphasized the need to carry ♦ Quick impact projects help refugee- colleagues. receiving communities on with the humanitarian legacy Mexico and Central America "Sergio Vieira de Mello and his he leaves behind. team were the best the United ♦ The Mexican Government commits to pro- UNHCR Representative Flor moting refugee legislation Nations had to offer, all of them Rojas announced a proposal for ♦ UNHCR participates in the regional migra- colleagues devoted to the UN's tion conference the creation of a government- humanitarian mission, paying the sponsored Sergio Vieira de Mello ♦ UNHCR and Ministry of Labor sign agree- ultimate price in the process," ment in Costa Rica Chair for the dissemination of High Commissioner Lubbers said. ♦ Public outreach activities for refugees in human rights, refugee law and Costa Rica The loss of Sergio Vieira de Mello international humanitarian law in Southern Latin America was particularly painful for Brazilian universities, which has ♦ New information materials for asylum UNHCR staff members who been welcomed by Brazilian seekers and refugees in Argentina shared tough challenges and authorities. ♦ Resettlement project in Chile: two years difficult decisions with him in the later In Costa Rica, the University of field or in Geneva. Mr. Vieira de ♦ Refugees in Sao Paulo express them- Costa Rica has agreed to name a selves through art Mello first joined the UN refugee new interdisciplinary course which ♦ One year into the micro-credit program in agency in Bangladesh in 1969, focuses on the protection of Argentina and remained with it for much of civilians during armed conflict and Canada, United States and the Caribbean his career. displacement, in Sergio Vieira de ♦ Reception and integration handbook avail- Mello's honor. able in French In his 33 years with the United Nations, he served in a number of ♦ Separated Minors Advisory Committee is In Venezuela, UNHCR created hotspots, including Cambodia, participated in a widely attended ♦ Mid-year statistical snapshot Mozambique, Sudan, the Great religious ceremony in the Caracas ♦ Resettlement handbook available in Lakes, East Timor and Kosovo, Cathedral organized by the French before being appointed UN High Ombudsman's Office and presided ♦ Somali Bantu arrive in the US Commissioner for Human Rights over by the Archbishop of ♦ Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie in 2002. He was on a four-month Caracas. It also organized an lobbies for unaccompanied minors act leave of absence from that post intimate religious ceremony for World Refugee Day Activities while on mission in Iraq. colleagues within the UN System. Staff members also grieve the Offices in Costa Rica, Colombia Media Relations death of former UNHCR (which was opened following Mr. Public Information Service colleague Seyed Reza Hosseini, Vieira de Mello's recommendation [email protected] who served as Field Assistant in in December 1997), and Mexico, Tel.: (41 22) 739 85 02 Iran from 1993 to 2000. He had also organized varied tributes Fax: (41 22) 739 73 15 been working for the United along with other UN agencies. In the US, a memorial was planned www.unhcr.org Nations Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq for September. L www.acnur.org An alliance is born in Colombia organizations quickly expressed interest in joining the alliance. The intervention; and to begin working UNHCR’s proposal for the "General Board", held its first on the participation of the alliance creation of a broad Humanitarian meeting at the beginning of July, in awareness-building events like Alliance in Colombia went public less than two weeks after the "Peace Week" promoted every this June. UNHCR Representative announcement was made. year by the Catholic Church and Francisco Galindo Vélez launched Academics, non-governmental several Colombian non- the proposal at the World Social and business organizations, and governmental organizations. Forum meeting, taking place in even a former Colombian Minister Work is still in the planning stage, Cartagena. of Foreign Affairs participated. The but the new Humanitarian Alliance The aim of the alliance is to go wave continued to move fast, and is consolidating itself at an beyond the boundaries of the a coordination committee was impressive pace. It is too early to United Nations system in formed to plan further actions. tell what the outcome will be, but coordinating efforts to find ways to When the Board met again at the participants and many onlookers L alleviate the suffering of millions of beginning of August, it decided to have high hopes. internally displaced (IDP) create six task groups, each with a Colombians and of Colombians different function: "mapping" besieged by the conflict. actions in favor of IDPs by Mr. Galindo had previously different members of the alliance discussed the proposal with in order to facilitate future several business leaders, coordination of those actions; government officials and strengthening IDP organizations; academics. So when it went studying possible initiatives by the public, many individuals and private sector; discussing ways of improving the impact of state Internally displaced persons in Colombia (UNHCR / G. Fayoux) Breaking the blockage in Cugucho, Colombia heard the same complaints from everyone: there is no fuel, no gas, Two years ago, eleven pigs are fed. At 6 p.m. they no sugar, no salt, no cooking oil in communities in the Upper Baudó brought 10 pounds of rice for us to Upper Baudó. Most of the towns Basin (department of Chocó in the cook. At 8 p.m., we were split into have electric power plants which west of Colombia) were forced out three groups to spend the night. stopped running long ago, and of their towns by the threats of a The next day they left at 10 a.m. which have never been repaired paramilitary group. Residents When we went to our houses, they because technicians do not dare living in the community of had stolen all our food." to go there. The situation has Cugucho were among the few become so desperate that people who stayed after the incidents of The blockade is also affecting other communities. As of may feel forced to flee once again, June 4, 2001. The town has paid a and soon. heavy price: a permanent September, 2001, there had been economic blockade imposed by several government-organized UNHCR and OCHA have acted. A the paramilitaries who want to returns back to the Upper Baudó workshop was held in April where stop any food flowing to the ELN of people who were in precarious UNHCR provided Upper Baudó guerrilla fighters who hold conditions in the places they had inhabitants with training on positions at the northern end of fled to. These returnees were techniques for community the river. guaranteed help from the state organization and legal advice on (productive projects, health the rights of internally displaced This July, the paramilitaries visited assistance) but received little, and persons in Colombia. A Cugucho again. The town’s had to suffer from the blockade documentation campaign in inhabitants also talked to UNHCR instead. November is expected to enhance and OCHA staff members who The UNHCR and OCHA are the ability of these citizens to were on a joint mission to Upper claim their rights. The most Baudó at that time. supporting these communities of Cugucho, Chigorodó, Chachegó, important action, however, will be "The fighters arrived at around Santa Rita, and Bella Cecilia. "uncorking" the river through a 9:00 a.m.," one resident Humanitarian staff spoke to those stronger state presence that is recounted. "They locked us in a who had returned, those who had expected in the zone soon. In the house, more than 300 people. At 1 stayed, teachers, health workers meantime, UNHCR is considering p.m. they came with bananas that and community leaders. They providing humanitarian aid by boat they cooked and fed us the way to Upper Baudó. L - 2 - Child pedagogy and protection project reaches the heart of United Nations Volunteers in Colombia the Colombia operation Two years into a UNHCR- leen says, "but it is also better ex- "When I first came here I fell in sponsored project in Colombia to perience for a teacher". love with the place. I thought it provide better opportunities to in- The project has three phases and would be tough though. I searched ternally displaced children in Soacha is only beginning Phase I. in Google for Apartadó, and it did school, and in a continued bid to This year, the project is mostly not exist." Those were Ana de la expand its scope throughout the working with individual teachers Varga's first impressions when country, the project has reached who volunteer one Saturday a she arrived at UNHCR’s Field Of- the heart of Colombia.