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Dear List Members, I just saw this summary in today's (Oct. 25) "Refugees Daily" (http://www.unhcr.ch/news/media/daily.htm). Visit the specific web page for links to the various news sources the summary was based on. "GLOBAL: Lubbers named as next UNHCR chief Former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers has been appointed as next head of UNHCR, the Dutch government said yesterday, reports AP. Prime Minister Wim Kok confirmed that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had picked Lubbers to lead UNHCR in 2001. Lubbers had not been among the five candidates named earlier. "We were all very surprised, naturally," Lubbers said, adding that Annan had called him last week. Annan is expected to announce his recommendation to the UN General Assembly today for approval. A right-of-center Christian Democrat, Lubbers, 61, headed Dutch governments continuously from 1982 to 1994. He is the Netherlands' longest-serving post-war premier. In recent years, he has served as head of the World Wildlife Fund and taught a course on globalization at Harvard University. The Financial Times reports many UN members reacted positively to Lubbers' appointment, pointing out he had a higher profile than the other candidates. The New York Times adds Lubbers was an unsuccessful candidate for NATO secretary general and for president of the European Commission in recent years. Le Temps reports the nomination rewards the Netherlands, one of UNHCR's most generous donors. Lubbers, an economist, has definite diplomatic experience and appears to be a consensus candidate. His nomination will reassure Russia, China and others who worry about interference in their sovereign affairs." Elisa Mason Consultant, Forced Migration Portal Project Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford Note: The material contained in this communication comes to you from the Forced-migration Discussion List which is moderated by the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), University of Oxford. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the RSC or the University. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this message please retain this disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. Forced-migration Discussion list reports are archived on: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/forced-migration. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%