§ Lord Watson of Invergowrieasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assistance, financial or otherwise, they are providing in 1998 to the General Programmes Budget of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. [HL1141]
§ Lord WhittyWe have recently agreed to a contribution of £7 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees General Programme Budget. We have further approved a contribution of £3 million to set up a joint UK/UNHCR Trust Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide a source of funding to Non Governmental Organisations who work globally in refugee situations.
We have also developed a continuous dialogue with the UNHCR with a view to increasing the effectiveness of our long-term joint partnership. We aim to encourage the organisation to improve its performance in certain mutually agreed areas, which include establishing a capacity for conducting independent evaluations, and strengthening and improving the quality and reliability of assessment, response, and monitoring of projects.