Country Selected for UNHCR Committee

Costa Rica was recently selected to be part of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

The country learned about this honor through a letter from U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

“Costa Rica has a record of demonstrating interest and devotion to the search for lasting solutions for refugees,” the letter reads. “Costa Rica traditionally has received refugees and requests for asylum from those who seek to protect their lives and liberty.”

In proportion to its population, Costa Rica is the country that receives the second most refugees in Latin America, and historically it has had one of the highest refugee reception rates in the world, the statement said.

Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said Costa Rica being selected for this post “ratifies the historical tradition of the country as a territory of refuge and asylum and its permanent work to defend and protect human rights,” the statement said.