Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Stanley Kakubo says government remains committed to continue partnering with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Refugee program in the country.
Mr Kakubo said Zambia and the UNHCR have enjoyed excellent, warm and cordial relations and has thanked the UN agency for their support to Zambia, which he said provides help towards the improvement of the livelihoods and integration of refugees in Zambia.
Speaking when Country Representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Zambia, Preeta Law today presented her letters of credence at his office in Lusaka today, the Minister assured the UNHCR Representative of government’s support to the operations of the organisation in the country.
And UNHCR Country Representative Preeta Law said she is honoured to assume her role as Representative in Zambia, which has a long history of protecting refugees and people forced to flee conflict and persecution.
Ms Law added that the UNHCR appreciates the strong working relationship with Zambia, built over the last 56 years and that she is looking forward to continuing the strong collaboration that has long characterized UNHCR’s partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, members of the Diplomatic Community, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, civil society and other stakeholders in the refugee programme.
Ms Law brings over 20 years of experience in forced displacement and refugee protection leadership. Prior to her appointment, she served as UNHCR Representative in South Africa and as Special Adviser in the Division of International Protection in UNHCR Headquarters.
Ms. Law was deployed in complex humanitarian situations in Myanmar and the former Yugoslavia and has held other senior positions in UNHCR, including Deputy Director in the Division of International Protection in UNHCR Headquarters.
Zambia currently hosts 82,729 refugees in three refugee settlements and in urban areas.
This is according to a statement made available to the media by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation in Lusaka yesterday.
