ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is all set to host a two-day conference for Afghan refugees to mark four decades of their presence in the country, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement released on late Sunday February 10, 2020.
The event, titled “40 years of Afghan Refugees Presence in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity,” is in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and will be held in Islamabad from February 17 to 18.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to inaugurate the conference which will see the participation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and ministers and senior officials from around 20 countries “who have been supporting the Afghan refugees across the globe and in Pakistan.”
According to the statement, senior officials from the UN, multilateral developments banks, civil society, and the private sector will also be in attendance.
The conference is taking place at a time when effort to end a decades-old conflict in Afghanistan is at its peak.
The FO said that besides providing an opportunity to highlight the exemplary compassion, generosity and hospitality extended by Pakistan – in hosting one of the largest refugee populations in the world – the conference will also seek to identify key developments and milestones related to the refugee crisis; reflect on the lessons learnt; identify challenges; and discuss solutions for a voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the refugees to Afghanistan.
“It will also help in building a positive narrative on refugees, especially at a time when borders are being closed on them and millions are being made stateless under nationalistic and ideological pretenses,” the statement added.
At present, Pakistan is host to nearly 1.4 million registered refugees, as corroborated by the UNHCR.
