Mr. Joël Boutroue has arrived as the new Representative for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Uganda. Mr. Boutroue, a French national with more than 30 years of experience in the United Nations system and more generally in the humanitarian and development world, has held a range of senior postings before his new position.
He has worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), and has been UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, as well as Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General. He has also served in senior advisory roles to UN Member States.
Mr. Boutroue has succeeded Mr. Bornwell Kantande who completed his assignment as UNHCR Representative in Uganda at end of March 2018, and will take up the position of Head of the UNHCR Regional Service Centre in Nairobi.
Given the magnitude of the refugee crises affecting Uganda, the success of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the importance of incorporating the Ugandan model of generous asylum policy and integration of refugees into national and local development plans, UNHCR announced at the beginning of the year its intention to deploy staff at more senior levels.
At such a critical time, with continuing influxes of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from South Sudan, Mr. Boutroue will lead UNHCR’s support to the Government of Uganda and ensure timely and efficient assistance to refugees.
This includes a country-wide biometric verification exercise that started in March, while also seeking lasting solutions for them and increasing support to refugee hosting communities, with the support of the international community.
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