Episode 19: A conversation with Kelly T. Clements Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency

Refugees and internally displaced persons do not choose to leave their homes – they are forced to, due to natural and man-made disasters, conflict and persecution, and of course, climate change. Forced displacement continues to surge past historic levels, topping at an alarming 120 million in 2024. 

For this episode of Goalmakers, it was a great honor to be able to sit and have a conversation with Kelly T. Clements, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. She graciously took a break from the UN General Assembly in New York to join me over Zoom. 

Kelly and I were able to dive into the factors causing forced displacement, as well as the challenges of resettlement, how host countries are assisting, how UNHCR is leveraging technology, and examples of hope and perseverance.  

Kelly has been working on refugee and displacement issues throughout her 25-year career, including a secondment from the US Government to UNHCR in Bangladesh in the 1990s. 

In fact, she was previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, or PRM, from 2010 to 2015, with responsibility for humanitarian issues in Asia and the Middle East. She previously led PRM's Office of Policy and Resource Planning, where she oversaw the Bureau's strategic planning, policy development and financial resources to protect and assist refugees, conflict victims, and vulnerable migrants worldwide. She also served as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon during 2014. 

Suffice it to say, she has a wealth of understanding and knowledge about refugees and IDPs.  

Any one of us could be forcibly displaced.  

I invite you to take a moment to image that you are just forced from your home, your town or city, what would you do – where would you go?  

...I hope you enjoy this episode, and remember, to bring about positive change and assist refugees, think globally and act locally. 

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