Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes will travel to Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal from August 19-27, 2024.
In Abidjan, Assistant Secretary Noyes will meet with senior government and international organization officials, including the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank. She will discuss Côte d'Ivoire's progress toward eradicating statelessness and successful facilitation of voluntary returns of previously displaced Ivoirians. The Assistant Secretary will also visit refugees from Burkina Faso living alongside Ivoirians, a testament to the country's generous support to vulnerable people fleeing conflict. Finally, Assistant Secretary Noyes will explore opportunities to promote private sector investment in durable solutions, in alignment with the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.
In Dakar, the Assistant Secretary will meet with senior government officials and regional international organization partners about Senegal's exemplary role hosting and integrating almost 19,000 refugees locally. Their integration efforts since welcoming displaced people to southern Senegal's Casamance region in 1990, from ensuring access to documentation to inclusion in national social service programs, have led to a more stable and secure country for vulnerable populations.
