 it's really my privilege to assert the theme of this event, welcoming the stranger. This is an affirmation, in my view, of the solidarity in humanity towards displaced persons wherever they may be. This theme, welcoming the stranger, resonates in fact with the fundamental belief that all humanity is one regardless of religion, ethnic origin, color, race, and other discriminatory grounds. Echoing the welcoming the stranger affirmation, our faiths demand that we remember we are all migrants on this earth, journeying together in hope. Thus the role of faith-based actors goes beyond the faith as expressed by them, but these are translated into concrete actions in the humanity of strangers nevertheless welcome them so that we may not be strangers anymore, but with the numbers continuing to increase the gravity and intensity of displacement making compliance with international human rights and humanitarian standards more and more difficult, we find humanitarian actors including faith-based organizations facing challenges and obstacles in such welcoming the stranger. Humanitarian access is more and more restricted arbitrarily, funding is actually dwindling, political space to operate is constantly challenged and in fact in so far as some faith-based actors or organizations are concerned, particularly churches, the role in humanitarian settings are sometimes regarded with antagonism often with suspicion. Moreover unfortunately spaces established by such faith-based organizations may even be transformed from spaces of refuge to targets of violence. In this context there is also solidarity that must be asserted among humanitarian organizations themselves in self-regulation. This is really essential and I see this event further attesting to that with the integration of faith-based organizations into the wider humanitarian community. The work continues in this growing more challenging environment, but I think that if we are also faithful to our own commitment, welcoming the stranger should also always be the norm rather than the exception. Thank you very much.