On May 30, 2001, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace International Migration Policy Program and Refugee Council USA sponsored a roundtable discussion on the ongoing Global Consultations on International Protection. The Global Consultations, sponsored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, is a process involving experts, policy makers, practitioners, and refugee activists to reaffirm the importance of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol and develop consensus on ways to deal with emerging issues which international law does not yet adequately address. The Global Consultations began in December, 2000 and will continue into early 2002. The roundtable discussion provided an opportunity for a diverse group of analysts, government officials, and activists in the Washington, DC area to hear the results of the Consultation meetings so far and provide their input into the issues the Consultations are addressing.
