My guest on this year’s first edition of The Advocates is Ms. Judy Cheng-Hopkins. Our subject today is the ongoing problem of refugees in the world today, and what is being done about it by the United Nations.

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Ms. Judy Cheng-Hopkins is the United Nations Assistant High Commissioner for refugees.  This position, supervises all UNHCR operations in the world. It also oversees the Division of Operational Support which includes the Emergency and Security Service.

Prior to this job, Ms. Cheng-Hopkins was the Director of the World Food Programme Office in New York.  She was also Director for Asia and Eastern Europe in WFP (1997-2000) where she oversaw large and complex emergency operations.  Prior to that, she served UNDP in Africa for 10 years, first in Zambia (1982-1988), then in Kenya (1988-1992) and as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa (2002-2003).

Ms. Cheng-Hopkins received a Master of Arts degree in Economic Development from Columbia University (1978), USA.  She has also received diplomas from Université d’Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France and Harvard University, USA. Ms. Cheng-Hopkins is Malaysian.  She is married and mother of two daughters.  She enjoys playing tennis and listening to jazz. She is also married to Dr. Tom Hopkins, who was on this show on April 9, 2008. Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, who is deeply involved in Development/Strategic Planning, has worked on these efforts all over the world and is the author of an unlimited number of reports, the last being “Capacity Assessment Guidelines: A Systems and Strategic Management review about Somalia and Nairobi.