UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees

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"UNHCR"redirectshere.ItisnottobeconfusedwithUNHRC,theUnitedNationsHumanRightsCouncil.
TheOfficeoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees(UNHCR),alsoknownastheUNRefugeeAgency,isaUnitedNationsagencymandatedtoprotectand
supportrefugeesattherequestofagovernmentortheUNitselfandassistsintheirvoluntaryrepatriation,localintegrationorresettlementtoathirdcountry.Itsheadquartersare
inGeneva,SwitzerlandandisamemberoftheUnitedNationsDevelopmentGroup.[1]TheUNHCRhaswontwoNobelPeacePrizes,oncein1954andagainin1981.[2]

UnitedNationsHighCommissionerfor
Refugees
UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees

Contents

HautCommissariatdesNationsuniespourles
rfugis (French)

1History
2Function
2.1Palestinerefugeemandate
2.2Publicawareness
2.3Awards
3PersonsofconcerntoUNHCR
4Staffing
4.1HighCommissioners
4.2SpecialEnvoyofHighCommissionerAntnioGuterres
4.3Goodwillambassadors
5Seealso
6References
7Externallinks

History
FollowingthedemiseoftheLeagueofNationsandtheformationoftheUnitedNationstheinternationalcommunitywasacutelyawareoftherefugeecrisisfollowingtheendof
WorldWarII.In1947,theInternationalRefugeeOrganization(IRO)wasfoundedbytheUnitedNations.[3]TheIROwasthefirstinternationalagencytodealcomprehensively
withallaspectspertainingtorefugees'lives.PrecedingthiswastheUnitedNationsReliefandRehabilitationAdministration,whichwasestablishedin1944toaddressthe
millionsofpeopledisplacedacrossEuropeasaresultofWorldWarII.[3]
Inthelate1940s,theIROfelloutoffavor,buttheUNagreedthatabodywasrequiredtooverseeglobalrefugeeissues.DespitemanyheateddebatesintheGeneralAssembly,
theUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugeeswasfoundedasasubsidiaryorganoftheGeneralAssemblybyResolution319(IV)oftheUnitedNationsGeneral
AssemblyofDecember1949.However,theorganizationwasonlyintendedtooperatefor3years,fromJanuary1951,duetothedisagreementofmanyUNmemberstatesover
theimplicationsofapermanentbody.[3]

Abbreviation

UNHCR
HCR

Formation

14December1950

Legalstatus

Active

Head

AntnioGuterres

Parent
organization

UnitedNations

Website

UNHCR.org
(http://www.unhcr.org)

UNHCR'smandatewasoriginallysetoutinitsstatute,annexedtoresolution428(V)oftheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyof1950.ThismandatehasbeensubsequentlybroadenedbynumerousresolutionsoftheGeneral
AssemblyanditsEconomicandSocialCouncil(ECOSOC).[3]AccordingtoUNHCR,
[its]mandateistoprovide,onanonpoliticalandhumanitarianbasis,internationalprotectiontorefugeesandtoseekpermanentsolutionsforthem.[3]

Soonafterthesigningofthe1951ConventionrelatingtotheStatusofRefugees,itbecameclearthatrefugeeswerenotsolelyrestrictedtoEurope.In1956,UNHCRwasinvolvedin
coordinatingtheresponsetotheuprisinginHungary.Justayearlater,UNHCRwastaskedwithdealingwithChineserefugeesinHongKong,whilealsorespondingAlgerianrefugees
whohadfledtoMoroccoandTunisiainthewakeofAlgeria'swarforindependence.Theresponsesmarkedthebeginningofawider,globalmandateinrefugeeprotectionand
humanitarianassistance.[3]
Decolonizationinthe1960striggeredlargerefugeemovementsinAfrica,creatingamassivechallengethatwouldtransformUNHCRunliketherefugeecrisesinEurope,therewereno
durablesolutionsinAfricaandmanyrefugeeswhofledonecountryonlyfoundinstabilityintheirnewcountryofasylum.Bytheendofthedecade,twothirdsofUNHCR'sbudgetwas
focusedonoperationsinAfricaandinjustonedecade,theorganization'sfocushadshiftedfromanalmostexclusivefocusonEurope.[3]
Inthe1970s,UNHCRrefugeeoperationscontinuedtospreadaroundtheglobe,withthemassexodusofEastPakistanistoIndiashortlybeforethebirthofBangladesh.Addingtothewoes
inAsiawastheVietnamwar,withmillionsfleeingthewartorncountry.[3]

OfficeoftheUnitedNationsHigh
CommissionerforRefugees

The1980ssawnewchallengesforUNHCR,withmanymemberstatesunwillingtoresettlerefugeesduetothesharpriseinrefugeenumbersoverthe1970s.Often,theserefugeeswerenotfleeingwarsbetweenstates,butinter
ethnicconflictinnewlyindependentstates.Thetargetingofciviliansasmilitarystrategyaddedtothedisplacementinmanynations,soeven'minor'conflictscouldresultinalargenumberofdisplacedpersons.WhetherinAsia,
CentralAmericaorAfrica,theseconflicts,fueledbysuperpowerrivalryandaggravatedbysocioeconomicproblemswithintheconcernedcountries,durablesolutionscontinuedtoproveamassivechallengefortheUNHCR.
Asaresult,theUNHCRbecamemoreheavilyinvolvedwithassistanceprogramswithinrefugeecamps,oftenlocatedinhostileenvironments.[3]
TheendoftheColdWarmarkedcontinuedinterethnicconflictandcontributedheavilytorefugeeflight.Inaddition,humanitarianinterventionbymultinationalforcesbecamemorefrequentandthemediabegantoplayabig
role,particularlyintheleaduptothe1999NATOmissioninYugoslavia,whilebycontrast,the1994RwandanGenocidehadlittleattention.ThegenocideinRwandacausedamassiverefugeecrisis,againhighlightingthe
difficultiesforUNHCRtoupholditsmandate,andtheUNHCRcontinuedtobattleagainstrestrictiveasylumpoliciesinsocalled'rich'nations.[3]

Function
UNHCRwasestablishedon14December1950[4]andsucceededtheearlierUnitedNationsReliefandRehabilitationAdministration.Theagencyismandatedtoleadandcoordinate
internationalactiontoprotectrefugeesandresolverefugeeproblemsworldwide.Itsprimarypurposeistosafeguardtherightsandwellbeingofrefugees.Itstrivestoensurethateveryone
canexercisetherighttoseekasylumandfindsaferefugeinanotherstate,withtheoptiontoreturnhomevoluntarily,integratelocallyortoresettleinathirdcountry.
UNHCR'smandatehasgraduallybeenexpandedtoincludeprotectingandprovidinghumanitarianassistancetowhomitdescribesasotherpersons"ofconcern,"includinginternally
displacedpersons(IDPs)whowouldfitthelegaldefinitionofarefugeeunderthe1951UnitedNationsConventionRelatingtotheStatusofRefugeesand1967Protocol,the1969
OrganizationforAfricanUnityConvention,orsomeothertreatyiftheylefttheircountry,butwhopresentlyremainintheircountryoforigin.UNHCRpresentlyhasmajormissionsin
Lebanon,SouthSudan,Chad/Darfur,DemocraticRepublicofCongo,Iraq,AfghanistanaswellasKenyatoassistandprovideservicestoIDPsandrefugees.
Toachieveitsmandate,theUNHCRengagedinactivitiesbothinthecountriesofinterestandincountrieswithdonors.Forexample,theUNHCRhostsexpertroundtablestodiscussissues
ofconcerntotheinternationalrefugeecommunity.

Palestinerefugeemandate
Mainarticle:UnitedNationsReliefandWorksAgencyforPalestineRefugeesintheNearEast
MostPalestinianrefugeesthoseintheWestBank,GazaStrip,Lebanon,Syria,andJordandonotcomewithintheresponsibilityoftheUNHCR,butinsteadcomeunderanolderbody,
theUnitedNationsReliefandWorksAgencyforPalestineRefugeesintheNearEast(UNRWA).TheUNRWAhasamuchbroaderdefinitionof"refugee"thantheUNHCR,includingnot
onlyrefugeesthemselvesbuttheirdescendantsinperpetuityhowever,itonlycoversrefugeesstemmingfromthe1948and1967ArabIsraeliwars.OtherPalestinianrefugeesoutsideof
UNRWA'sareaofoperationsdofallunderUNHCR'smandate,iftheymeettheUNHCR'smorelimiteddefinitionofrefugee.

Publicawareness

UNHCRpackagescontainingtents,
tarps,andmosquitonettingsitina
fieldinDadaab,Kenya,on11
December2006,followingdisastrous
flooding

Severalnewprogramshaverecentlybeenintroducedtosupportandtoheightenawarenessoftheissuesfacedbyrefugeesaroundtheworld.Thesetwonewprogramsareaproductofthe
benchmarkssetoutbytheUnitedNationsMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.

Awards
Since1954,theUNHCRNansenRefugeeAwardhasbeenannuallyawardedtoapersonoranorganizationinrecognitionofoutstandingservicetothecauseofrefugees,displacedor
statelesspeople.
UNHCR50thanniversary.Stampof
Tajikistan,2001.

TheUNHCRitselfwasawardedtheNobelPeacePrizein1954and1981.

Refugeecampin
Darfur(Chad)

Ahelicopterarrivesat
arefugeefacilityin
Macedoniawithan
underslungloadofAid

Trucksloadedwith
suppliesdriveacross
theborderfromTurkey
intoIraqtotakepartin
OperationProvide
Comfort,a
multinationaleffortto
aidKurdishrefugees

AnUNHCRofficer
talkswithaMarine
duringExerciseEager
Lion12

Workersfromthe
UNHCR,andCARE
Internationalgather
bundlesofsheltersand
mosquitonetsin
Kenya

Heavilyfortified
UNHCRofficesin
Somaliland

PersonsofconcerntoUNHCR
Asof1January2007,UNHCRreportedatotalof21018589individualsfallingunderitsmandate.
7,979,251inAsia,ofwhich
2,580,638intheMiddleEast
2,974,315inSouthEastAsia
218,584inCentralAsia
1,304,189inSouthAsia
901,525inEastAsiaandthePacific
4,740,392inEurope,ofwhich
1,617,214inEasternEurope
708,132inSouthEastEurope
616,132inCentralEuropeandintheBalticstates
1,798,914inWesternEurope
5,069,123inAfrica,ofwhich
1,359,175inCentralAfricaandtheGreatLakesregion
2,105,314inEasternAfrica

AerialviewofZaatarirefugeecamp
forSyrianrefugeesinJordan,July
2013

1,031,030inWesternAfrica
434,427intheSouthernAfricanregion
139,177inNorthAfrica
3,229,822inAmerica,ofwhich
717,545inNorthAmericaandintheCaribbean
2,512,277inSouthAmerica

Staffing
AsofApril2008,theUNHCRemployedastaffof6,351peoplein117countries.[5]

HighCommissioners
ThepostofHighCommissionerhasbeenheldby:[6]
Nr

Commissioner

Country

Time

11 AntnioGuterres

Portugal

2005present

10 WendyChamberlin

UnitedStates FebJun/2005(adinterim)

RuudLubbers

Netherlands 20012005(Resignduetointernalinvestigation)

SadakoOgata

Japan

19902000

ThorvaldStoltenberg

Norway

JanNov1990

JeanPierreHock

Switzerland

19861989

PoulHartling

Denmark

19781985

SadruddinAgaKhan

Iran

19651977

FlixSchnyder

Switzerland

19601965

AugusteR.Lindt

Switzerland

19561960

GerritJanvanHeuvenGoedhart

Netherlands 19511956

FridtjofNansen

Norway

19221927LeagueofNationsHighCommissioner

PriortotheestablishmentofUNHCR,FridtjofNansenwastheLeagueofNationsHighCommissioneroftheNansenInternationalOfficeforRefugees,from1922.

SpecialEnvoyofHighCommissionerAntnioGuterres
AngelinaJolie
After10yearsservingasaGoodwillAmbassador,AngelinaJoliewaspromotedin2012toSpecialEnvoytotheHighCommissioner.InthisrolesherepresentstheUNHCRandHighCommissionerAntnioGuterresatthe
diplomaticlevelandworkstofacilitatelongtermsolutionsforpeopledisplacedbylargescalecrises,suchasAfghanistanandSomalia."Thisisanexceptionalpositionreflectinganexceptionalroleshehasplayedforus,"saida
UNHCRspokesman.

Goodwillambassadors
UNHCRisalsorepresentedbyanumberofUNHCRGoodwillAmbassadors,whoatpresentare:

BarbaraHendricks(HonoraryLifetimeGoodwillAmbassador)
YaoChen
JulienClerc
GeorgeDalaras
MuazzezErsoy
KhaledHosseini
AdelEmam
OsvaldoLaport
AidosSagat
JessVzquez
AlekWek
JungWoosung
Previousambassadorsinclude:
RichardBurton
NaziaHassan
JamesMason
SophiaLoren

Seealso
UnitedNations
NansenInternationalOfficeforRefugees
UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugeesRepresentationinCyprus
AlbertEinsteinGermanAcademicRefugeeInitiativeFund,ascholarshipprogramforrefugeesadministeredbyUNHCR
UnitedNationsReliefandWorksAgencyforPalestineRefugeesintheNearEast

References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

UNDGMembers(http://www.undg.org/index.cfm?P=13).Undg.org.Retrievedon20130712.
"NobelLaureatesFactsOrganizations".NobelFoundation.Retrieved20091013.
Refworld|SelfStudyModule1:AnIntroductiontoInternationalProtection.ProtectingPersonsofConcerntoUNHCR(http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4214cb4f2.html).Unhcr.org(1August2005).Retrievedon20130712.
"HistoryofUNHCR:Aglobalhumanitarianorganizationofhumbleorigins".UNHCR.Retrieved20091101.
"Basicfacts".UNHCR.Retrieved3October2010.
UNHCREhemaligeFlchtlingshochkommissarInnen.(http://www.unhcr.ch/unhcr/fluechtlingshochkommissar/ehemhochkommissarinnen.html)Retrieved15May2015.

GilLoescher,AlexanderBettsandJamesMilner.UNHCR:ThePoliticsandPracticeofRefugeeProtectionintotheTwentyFirstCentury,Routledge.2008.
AlexanderBetts.ProtectionbyPersuasion:InternationalCooperationintheRefugeeRegime,CornellUniversityPress.2009.
GilLoescher.TheUNHCRandWorldPolitics:APerilousPath.OxfordUniversityPress.2002
FionaTerry.CondemnedtoRepeat?TheParadoxofHumanitarianAction.CornellUniversityPress.2002.
NicholasSteiner.ProblemsofProtection.Routledge.2003.

Externallinks
Officialwebsite(http://www.unhcr.org)
UNHCR's"Refworld"refugeedocumentandnewswebsite(http://www.refworld.org):fromUNHCR'sStatusDeterminationandProtectionInformationSection(SDPIS)inthe
DivisionofInternationalProtectionServices(DIPS).

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoUNHCR.

BottledWaterPrograminSupportoftheUNHCR(http://www.earthwater.ca)
NewsfromUNHCRofficialwebsite(http://www.unhcr.org/news.html)
"Basicfacts"fromofficialwebsite(http://www.unhcr.org/basics.html)
MeasuringProtectionbyNumbers,Reportfromofficialwebsite(http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/4579701b2.pdf)
UnitedNationsRuleofLaw:TheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees(http://www.unrol.org/article.aspx?article_id=14),ontheruleoflawworkconductedbytheHighCommissionerforRefugees.
HistoryoftheUnitedNations(http://www.direct.gov.uk/Gtgl1/GuideToGovernment/InternationalBodies/InternationalBodiesArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4003089&chk=aPi/oF)UKGovernmentsite
"WhoisaRefugeeandwhoisnottheCrisisofIdentityasaChallengetoProtection"(http://www.cerium.ca/article913.html)OnlinevideoofanaddressbyMs.ErikaFeller,director,DepartmentofInternational
Protection,UNHCR,in2005
USCRI'sCampaigntoEndRefugeeWarehousing(http://www.refugees.org/article.aspx?id=1109&rid=1179)
USCRI'sjointStatementCallingforSolutionstoEndtheWarehousingofRefugees(http://www.refugees.org/uploadedFiles/Investigate/Anti_Warehousing/statement.pdf)
"PrisonsoftheStateless:TheDerelictionsofUNHCR"(http://newleftreview.org/?page=article&view=2644)byJacobStevens
NineMillion(http://www.ninemillion.org/)
EarthWater(http://www.earthwater.ca/)
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