BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ON REFUGEE AND IDP ISSUES PUBLISHED UNDER SUB-PROJECT AGREEMENT WITH UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES BY UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
			UNHCR
		Third Issue (6th), 1999

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Visits Georgia Mrs. Sadako Ogata, the UN High Co-mmissioner for Refugees visited Georgia during 4-6 September. The main goal of her visit was to get familiar with the situation in the country as well as to monitor the activities of the UNHCR. During her visit, Mrs. Ogata met Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze, the President of Georgia, Mr. Vazsha Lortkipanidze, the State Minister, Mr. Irakli Menagarishvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Valeri Vashakidze, the Minister for Refugees and Accommodation. Mrs. Ogata met the Friends of the Secretary General in order to study the situation in Abkhazia in depth. She was also informed about the situation in South Ossetia by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the UNHCR Mobile Team. In addition, Mrs. Ogata met the Resident Representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank to discuss the transition process from humanitarian assistance to development. Along with the official meetings Mrs. Ogata visited Zugdidi, where she was briefed by the representatives of UNOMIG and local authorities, as well as the representatives of the different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the situation in the region and, particularly, on the conditions for IDPs there. Since 1993, UNHCR has been providing humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced in Georgia. UNHCR also supports the conflict resolution processes sponsored by the OSCE through monitoring, emergency relief assistance in the respective conflict zones and rehabilitation assistance in South Ossetia and government controlled areas. During her visit, Mrs. Ogata thanked the government for its accession to the 1951 Convention ensuring that refugees who flee to Georgia have the right to asylum. Furthermore, she emphasised to the government the right of internally displaced people to social and political rights. In response to journalist's inquiries about future UNHCR funding, Mrs. Ogata noted that an increase in donor funding for UNHCR programmes in Georgia could not be expected while the political resolution process between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides remains deadlocked. After completion of the mission to Georgia, Mrs. Ogata departed for an official visit to Baku, Azerbaijan on 7 September. PERSONAL PROFILE: Assumed office as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 18 February 1991. Was elected to this post by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 1990, for three years starting 1 January 1991. Was re-elected on 4 November 1993 for a further period of five years (January 1994 to December 1998). On 29 September 1998, Mrs. Ogata was reelected for a further period of two years (January 1999 to December 2000). Mrs. Ogata was the Independent Expert of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the Human Rights Situation in Myanmar in 1990. From 1982 to 1985, she was Representative of Japan on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. From 1978 to 1979, she was Chairman of the Executive Board of UNICEF. Also during 1978 and 1979, Mrs. Ogata was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Sophia University in Tokyo from 1989. Director of the Institute of International Relations at the same university, and Professor from 1980. Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California at Berkeley in 1963 . M.A. International Relations, Georgetown University in Washington D.C. in 1953 B.A. from the University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo in 1951.