In 2007, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres launched his first Dialogue on Protection Challenges. This has since become an annual event which facilitates informal discussion on global protection issues by UNHCR, states, academics, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

The 2010 Dialogue took place on December 8-9 in Geneva, on the theme "Protection Gaps and Responses." The Dialogue enabled discussion on gaps in the existing international protection framework for forcibly displaced and stateless people, as well as possible ways to respond. In particular, the 2010 Dialogue focused on international cooperation, burden sharing and comprehensive regional approaches; implementation and normative gaps; and issues relating to statelessness.

The discussions and outcomes of the 2010 Dialogue fed into a ministerial-level meeting that was held in December 2011 as the culmination of a series of events that marked the 60th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention and the 50th anniversary of the Reduction of Statelessness Convention.

Invitations to take part in the Dialogue were extended to member states of UNHCR's Executive Committee and observers to its Standing Committee as well as to relevant partners in the United Nations system, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, academics, experts and other stakeholders.

As in previous years, the Dialogue was not structured to elicit formal or agreed outcomes. The High Commissioner has provided a summary of the discussions and proposed elements for follow up.