Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, spoke yesterday afternoon on the problems of displaced people. The lecture, which drew a crowd of 300 to the Griffith Film Theater, highlighted the connection between asylum-seekers and globalization.
Ogata-who holds a doctorate in political science and was involved with UNICEF in the 1980s-said globalization is now creating more refugees than ever before, but many nations are fearful of accepting asylum seekers.
Asylum-seekers are caught between two extremes, Ogata said. "On the one hand, powerful transnational forces are... eroding the authority of the state, which previously offered some protection to the weaker and more vulnerable members of society," she said. "On the other hand, the sense of insecurity produced by globalization fuels xenophobic, nationalistic sentiments."
The number of displaced people has more than quadrupled in the last two decades, Ogata said. She attributed this increase to conflicts within nations, human rights abuses, poverty and lack of economic opportunities.
Ogata, who has held her current post at the UN since 1991, acknowledged that determining the motive for migration is often difficult. "There is increasing confusion between refugees, who flee persecution and violence, and migrants, who leave their country seeking better economic opportunities," she said. This confusion can delay refugees' entrance into a host country, Ogata said.
Identification of asylum seekers is further hindered as poverty and conflict push people to leave their homelands, she added.
Ogata stressed that although globalization is "first and foremost rich in opportunities," increased interaction among nations is not wholly positive. She cited the many financial crises of the past decade, the rapid spread of AIDS and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in politically unstable nations as examples of the adverse effects of globalization.
Calling xenophobia "one of the most dangerous trends in modern society," Ogata said needy refugees are often unjustly denied asylum by political leaders fearful that their citizens will respond negatively to an influx of immigrants.
"I am worried by the recent commitment of states, even the United States, to provide real leadership and 'social stewardship,'" Ogata said. In light of current declines in commitment to the refugee problem, she said she also hopes for "global solidarity," a term she admitted sounded abstract.
Ogata advocated a "comprehensive" approach to reconstructing countries torn by economic and political conflict. This approach, she said, must include political and possibly military efforts.
Corporations should reform as well, she said. "I believe it is important to adopt a 'positive conditionality' approach and give public recognition to socially responsible business," she said.
Ogata was introduced by Robert Keohane, professor of political science, who also directed a question-and-answer session with Ogata after her lecture. The event was sponsored by the Sawyer Seminar on Globalization and Equity.
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