UN chief calls for responsible, humane response to refugees in Europe

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on European states to respond responsibly and humanely to the arrival of refugees and migrants in Europe, said a UN spokesman here at a daily news briefing.

Ban spoke by telephone Wednesday with British Prime Minister David Cameron. This has been part of a series of calls he has made to European leaders in recent days, in which the Secretary-General has stressed the individual and collective responsibility of European states to respond responsibly and humanely to the arrival of refugees and migrants in Europe, according to Haq.

Previously, Ban has spoken to the heads of government of the Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to discuss the arrival of refugees and migrants in Europe.

The Secretary-General has assured European leaders of the United Nations' readiness, through its agencies, in particular the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), to continue supporting their efforts to develop a response that is effective, feasible and in line with universal human rights and humanitarian standards, including the right to claim asylum, said Haq.

In a separate development, the Secretary-General has welcomed the initiative by the International Olympic Committee to make 2 million U.S. dollars available to National Olympic Committees for programs focused on refugees, said Haq.

Ban has repeatedly underscored the great work done by civil society organizations in bringing help and support to refugees throughout the world, including through the support to the activities of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Youth Refugees and Sport Jacques Rogge, said Haq.

With the upcoming 70th session of the UN General Assembly that will gather an influx of world leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General will host a high-level meeting on migration and refugees on Sept. 30. Endit