Mr. High Commissioner, Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to share with you today a story, it is one story out of millions like it, but nonetheless it is one person’s unique story. It is the story of a refugee…

”Rhagad - a young Christian woman, aged 28 – fled in 2008 with her three small children from Mosul, in Northern Iraq.

She lived in the small village of Karakosh where her family had moved to after the war in 2004.

The local community tried to convince her and harassed her to dress according to the local custom and convert to Islam. Her family received phone threats and masked, armed men turned up on the doorstep of the family’s home, threatening to kill them if they did not leave the city.

Rhagad’s parents were forced to flee to Syria. A year later, her sister was forced to do the same when religious fundamentalists abducted her husband and threatened to kill him, if the family did not convert. The fate of Rhagad’s brother-in-law remains uncertain.

Rhagad fled from persecution and the threats.

In Denmark, The Danish Refugee Council helped Rhagad with her asylum claim ensuring important facts were included, which were essential to the Danish authorities’ decision.

In accordance with The United Nations Convention relating to the status of Refugees, the Danish authorities granted her and her children asylum in Denmark.  Today, she is safe from persecution.

Rhagad’s story clearly shows that  refugees are in an extremely difficult situation. They fear for their lives, they have endured terrible suffering, they have no home, and their future is uncertain. It is one of the greatest challenges of our time to protect  their rights and dignity, ensure their safety and give them the food, shelter and help they need to be able to build a future for themselves.

The world is facing huge challenges with respect  to refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants. The question is how the international community can continue to address these problems - and on what terms.

Thank you all for your participation today and ongoing dedication. I’m looking forward to the deliberations.

And finally, Mr. High Commissioner: I would like to extend my warm congratulations on the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations Refugee Convention.