30th anniversary of the work of UNHCR in Montenegro

Dear Mr. President, UNHCR Representative my fellow colleague Jean Ives, distinguished guests,

As the UN Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Montenegro, I am honored to be here today with all of you on this special occasion, and to thank our sister agency UNHCR for continuous efforts on helping those who are in great need during last 3 decades.

Solidarity and compassion for refugees, displaced and stateless persons is an essential principle in 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – ensuring that “no one must be left behind”. In a world where climate change, poverty and conflict, sees more people on the move, surely, the vision of Agenda 2030, cannot be realized without considering the rights and needs of those most impacted by unfortunate global events.

Montenegro has been facing number of challenges during last 30 years, and helping refugees was among the most striking ones. The country demonstrated remarkable response to each such crisis. It has continually, and still is, providing access to safety for refugees. With the support of UNCHR, the country has earned a well-deserved reputation of safe harbor for refugees, upholding humanitarian principles of refugee protection. Since the break-up of former Yugoslavia to this day, Montenegro has been a place of refuge for people forced to flee, diligently working to ensure effective measures and actions are in place to provide them access to safety.

The access to safety is embedded into the 2030 Agenda – a global plan seeking to Leave No One Behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In a world faced with an unprecedented level of global displacement, the Agenda offers a universal and inclusive vision of a sustainable world that cannot be achieving without providing safety and protection to refugees.

This approach is not only rooted in the Agenda 2030, but is also an important part of the Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, which in turn confirm the synergies of these two processes and how progress in one benefits the other.

And as our sister agency UNHCR leads the way in providing comprehensive protection for refugees in Montenegro, so too will UNHCR contribute both to the fulfillment of the Agenda 2030 and the country’s accession to the EU.

Dear UNHCR colleagues,

I would like to wholeheartedly thank you on behalf of the UN family in the country for all your hard work along you mission lines. You can take pride in what you have accomplished during last three decades and please know that you’ve make us all proud in the UN team.

The UN System remains firmly together with you - our sister agency UNHCR in supporting the country to ensure strong services and protection of dignity for all refugees and asylum seekers.