Lubbers

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers, who resigned on Sunday amid persistent controversy over allegations of sexual impropriety, bid an emotional goodbye to his 6,000 staff around the world today with a plea to turn the page and not dwell on the past.

Ruud Lubbers, who yesterday announced his resignation as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, today told staff of the Geneva-based agency he had acted out of concern for the world body's public image.

Ruud Lubbers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has stepped down from his post amid the persistent controversy over allegations of sexual impropriety – a move that Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed as serving the wider interest of the UN refugee agency.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has found that a staff member's complaint of sexual harassment against the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, cannot be sustained by the evidence, a UN spokesman said today.

On the eve of a meeting between European Union (EU) ministers about harmonizing their asylum laws, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned today that two draft EU directives on asylum could force genuine refugees back to their home countries and therefore possible persecution.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ended a two-day mission to the Republic of Korea (ROK) today and flew to Japan, where he is scheduled to meet senior government officials and co-chair an international symposium on refugees in Africa.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, is set to embark tomorrow on a six-day mission to South Korea and Japan, where he is expected to meet with senior government officials.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ruud Lubbers, on a three-day visit to the United States ending today, has discussed humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, West Africa and Iraq with senior US officials.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is set to embark tomorrow for his annual visit to the United States, where he is expected to meet with senior government officials in an effort to highlight the agency’s major operations that require greater attention and support.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, today began a three-day visit to the Russian Federation, where he plans to meet with high-ranking officials and visit programmes for displaced people in Ingushetia on the border with the Republic of Chechnya.