UN HCR
Sept 21 2004

UNHCR News Stories
Morjane lauds scouts’ work for refugee cause

Assistant High Commissioner Kamel Morjane with the BBC’s Owen
Bennet-Jones, who moderated the World Scout Movement roundtable
discussion in Geneva. © UNHCR/S.Hopper

GENEVA, Sept 17 (UNHCR) – Assistant High Commissioner Kamel Morjane
has lauded the World Scout Movement for its work on behalf of young
refugees across the globe, borrowing the scouts’ motto to stress that
UNHCR will always “be prepared” for refugee emergencies.

Morjane was speaking at the “Partnerships for Global Impact: Scouting
in Action” roundtable discussion in Geneva on Friday. Organised by
the World Scout Foundation, the event sought to show more than 200
donors how scouts are working with international organisations on
issues facing young people today.

Also on the panel were His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of
Sweden, who is the honorary president of the foundation; the heads of
various world scout movements; and representatives from partner
agencies like the International Telecommunications Union and the
World Bank.

“Over the years, scouts have done important and dedicated work for
refugees, both on the ground and through awareness-raising
activities,” said Morjane, noting that UNHCR and the World
Association of the Scout Movement signed a Memorandum of
Understanding in 1995.

With more than 28 million members in 215 countries and territories,
the World Scout Movement has implemented many projects to help
refugees in the field. Scouts have helped with vaccination and
environmental protection in Tanzania’s refugee camps, taught refugee
rights to children in Armenia, run workshops and recreational
activities to rehabilitate traumatised kids in Croatia, distributed
peace packs and sorted relief materials for Bosnian refugees in
Turkey, and organised activities to help young refugees integrate in
France and the Netherlands.

“UNHCR and the scouts are both committed to promoting peace and
self-reliance internationally, qualities that enable us to work
together for the good of refugees the world over,” said the Assistant
High Commissioner. “I urge today’s scouts to continue to channel
their energy, enthusiasm and commitment towards refugee causes.”

Besides projects that benefit refugees directly, UNHCR’s partnership
with the scouts has helped to raise awareness of refugee issues among
youth around the world. The refugee agency is a regular presence at
the Scout Jamboree held every four years, sensitising young people to
the challenges faced by refugees. The scouts, in turn, have supported
UNHCR through World Refugee Day activities in countries like Ghana,
Italy, Norway and Tunisia.

“Like the scouts, UNHCR believes in the motto, ‘Be prepared’,” said
Morjane. “We have to build our own capacities and partnerships so
that we can respond to the unforeseen. At UNHCR, we take this
seriously, and invest considerable resources to ensure that we are
always prepared to handle any possible refugee emergency.”