UN refugee expert to keynote Amnesty International's 2010 Annual Meeting in Christchurch

Richard Towle, a leading UN refugee expert in the Pacific region, has been confirmed as Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand’s keynote speaker for its Annual Meeting this Saturday (8 May).

Members of the organisation will gather in Christchurch to celebrate and debate human rights under this years’ theme “Development: The Human Rights Approach”.

“We are delighted to host Richard Towle as our guest speaker as he will offer invaluable insights as we roll out our newly launched Demand Dignity campaign and increasing work in the Pacific region,” says Patrick Holmes, CEO of Amnesty NZ.

Mr Towle, the Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the South Pacific, will discuss the role of humanitarians in promoting human rights in the development context.

“As humanitarians, we strive to make sure that people in desperate need have access to the essentials that give security and dignity to their lives: adequate food, housing, health care, education and decent employment,” says Mr Towle.

“But making sure people are able to live in dignity also means empowering and nurturing them with the means to build a future where their rights are protected and respected.”

Amnesty International launched its Demand Dignity campaign last May, which seeks to address the human rights abuses that drive and deepen poverty.

As part of this campaign Amnesty is working to ensure that respect for human rights is at the heart of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the most prominent global anti-poverty initiative.

“As governments fail to make real progress on some key symptoms of poverty, it is becoming clear that they cannot make fair and sustainable progress towards achieving the MDGs is human rights are left out of the question,” says Mr Holmes.

“Human dignity, in the true sense, is only achieved by ensuring that development is built on a solid bedrock of human rights, the rule of law and good governance for all in society - not the privileged few,” says Mr Towle.


Media are invited to attend Mr Towle’s address at Amnesty International’s Annual Meeting.
Where: Addington Events Centre, 75 Jack Hinton Drive, Addington, Christchurch.
When: Saturday 8th May, 2pm.


Biographical information about Richard Towle:
Mr. Richard Towle is the Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and 13 independent Pacific Island States. The UNHCR office in Canberra has an oversight role: to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of refugees in the region and to assist regional governments to find durable solutions in relation to the plight of refugees.

Mr Towle has worked for the UNHCR since 1990, in a variety of capacities around the world. Prior to assuming his responsibilities as Regional Representative in early 2007, Mr. Towle was Special Advisor in the Department of International Protection, at the UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva. He previously also worked as Chief of Mission with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the former Yugoslavia, between 2001 and 2003.