The current High Commissioner for Refugees is Sadako Ogata, a former Japanese diplomat and academic. Mrs. Ogata assumed office as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 18 February 1991 after being elected for a three-year term by the UN General Assembly on 21 December 1990. Mrs. Ogata has been re-elected twice since her inauguration and will remain in office until the end of the year 2000. The High Commissioner's Annual Report details the agency's main activities and concerns. Working with Partners Protecting refugees requires the cooperation of many international actors.
Many Governments also help refugees settle in their countries by providing financial assistance.
A Framework Agreement for Operational Partnership, to be signed in the near future, underscores the commitment to protection activities and general cooperation through high standards of conduct, both personal and organizational. The Agreement also defines operational standards, calls for the protection of the most vulnerable persons, and asserts the need for adequate care of staff, including training. This category includes persons who have been granted temporary protection on a group basis. The largest group of asylum-seekers lives in industrialized nations in Europe and North America. The agency's activities in the country of origin help make the return sustainable.