What are the most affected regions and states? What are the refugees' rights? What commitments do states have in protecting these? And how can discrimination of refugees and migrants be combatted?

To discuss these questions, as well as share their personal stories, we have invited Hilde Frafjord Johnson (NO), Ger Duany (SS/US), Salamatu “Sally” Kamara (NO), Efi Latsoudi (GR) and Pia Prytz Phiri (DK).

Pål Nesse (NO) will moderate the event.

More about the speakers

Hilde Frafjord Johnson has a long political career and is currently the Secretary-General of the Christian Democrats (KrF). She was Minister for human rights and development from 1997-2000 and Minister of development from 2001-2005. Hilde has served as special advisor at the African Development Bank, Deputy Executive Director at UNICEF, and from 2011-2014 she was Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan. Hilde has played a central role in peace and reconciliation processes in several regions, including in Sudan, Horn of Africa, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Ger Duany is a survivor of an estimated 20.000 "Lost Boys of Sudan" who was displaced during Sudan's north-south civil war. Ger was born in Akobo, in what is now South Sudan, in 1978. At early age, Ger was separated from his family and forcefully recruited as a child soldier. 14 years old, Ger escaped to Ethiopia and later to Kenya, before being resettled to the United States. Since then, Ger has built a successful career as a model and actor. In 2015, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) appointed Ger a Goodwill Ambassador for the East and Horn of Africa.

Salamatu "Sally" Kamara is a young woman with great passion for entrepreneurship. She is the creator of “Hva har du under klærne” - a photo project aiming at getting young people to accept and love their own body, and the project "Ingen hindring" which gives high school students the opportunity to get insight into how it is to be disabled. As ambassador for The Atlas Alliance is Sally engaged in promoting and protecting disabled refugees' rights. The Atlas Alliance works for the fulfillment of the human rights of persons with disabilities.

Efi Latsoudi was named one of the two winners of the 2016 Nansen Refugee Award for her extraordinary efforts to help vulnerable refugees arriving in Greece, including children, pregnant women and people with disabilities. She is the leader of the "PIKPA village", a center offering temporary shelter to vulnerable refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos. By 2015, PIKPA hosted approximately 600 refugees a day, four times the capacity of the center, offering language lessons, activities and distributing more than 2000 meals each day. PIKPA has helped an estimated 30.000 refugees on Lesvos since 2001.

Pia Prytz Phiri is Regional Representative for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Representation for Northern Europe. She has over 30 years of working experience with UNHCR, and has been stationed at field offices in Africa, Asia and Europe, working to ensure the protection of people forced to flee in vulnerable situations and complex operations. A lawyer by profession, Pia Prytz Phiri has served in the capacity as Representative, Head of Programme Budget Service and (Snr) Protection (Legal) Officer for UNHCR.

Pål Nesse is a senior advisor and has more than 25 years experience in the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), mainly with supporting their field work. He has been seconded to Mozambique, country director in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as served as NRCs representative in Geneva.