UN Entities & Agencies Task 1

office of the united nations high commissioner for refugees

Daniel Alejandro Trejo Macías, 5-5

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Purpose

UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems.UNHCR’s primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, and to return home voluntarily. By assisting refugees to return to their own country or to settle permanently in another country, UNHCR also seeks lasting solutions to their plight.

History

Initially, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was established in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. They were given three years to complete this work, and then disband. As new refugee crises unfolded across the globe, their mandate was extended multiple times throughout the 20th century until a General Assembly resolution in 2003 made the mandate permanent.

High commissioner

Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was first elected by the UN General Assembly on 1 January 2016 for a five-year term. The General Assembly has since twice re-elected him to serve, and he will now complete his term on 31 December 2025.

Governments

UNHCR has long-standing partnerships with donor governments, which provide crucial funding on an annual basis. It is through these partnerships that UNHCR can protect, save lives and build better futures for the tens of millions of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people around the world.

Non-governmental organizations

UNHCR maintains strategic partnerships with more than 900 non-governmental organization (NGO) partners. They entrust about 40 per cent of their annual expenditure to partners for undertaking programmes or projects to provide protection and solutions to people forced to flee. They place great importance on continuously improving collaborations with partners, particularly promoting national partners as first responders in emergency operations.

117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2023 as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.

Global compact on Refugees

On 17 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly affirmed the Global Compact on Refugees, after two years of extensive consultations led by UNHCR with Member States, international organizations, refugees, civil society, the private sector, and experts. The Global Compact on Refugees is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation. It provides a blueprint for governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that host communities get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives.

Stateless

Millions of people around the world are denied the right to a nationality, leaving them stateless. As a result, they may be unable to access other basic rights and services, such as being able to go to school, work legally, access health care or get married. They are also often at a higher risk of exploitation and abuse. UNHCR protects people who are currently stateless by ensuring that they can exercise their human rights until they acquire a nationality. They do this by encouraging States to accede to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and by advocating for the respect of rights to which stateless people are entitled under other human rights instruments, such as access to education and health care.

Livelihoods

After fleeing war or persecution, one of the most effective ways people can rebuild their lives with dignity and in peace is through the opportunity to work and earn a living. UNHCR works to promote livelihoods and economic inclusion for refugees. We advocate for their right to work and support them in becoming more resilient and achieve self-reliance.

The UNHCR coordination model is built on principles developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the primary method for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance. Together, they work to ensure that refugees and other people of concern receive the assistance and protection they need. Preparing for an emergency involves risk monitoring, scenario-based contingency planning, and establishing how to deliver assistance and protection. During times of crisis, UNHCR uses this knowledge to co-lead the inter-agency response, while acting under the overall leadership of the host government.

UNHCR is governed by the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The UNHCR Executive Committee approves the agency's annual programmes and the corresponding budget. These are presented by the High Commissioner, who is appointed by the UN General Assembly. Their mandate is defined by the 1950 UNHCR Statute. In 2003, the General Assembly extended the organization's mandate "until the refugee problem is solved." The High Commissioner reports annually to ECOSOC and the General Assembly on the work of UNHCR.

Sources:

• (N.d.). Unhcr.org. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/4371d18d0.pdf

• Contact us. (n.d.). UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/contact-us

• History of UNHCR. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/overview/history-unhcr

• The high commissioner. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/who-we-are/high-commissioner

• Non-governmental organizations. (n.d.). UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/our-partners/non-governmental-organizations
• Governments. (n.d.). UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/our-partners/governments
• Figures at a glance. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/who-we-are/figures-glance
• The Global Compact on refugees. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/who-we-are/global-compact-refugees
• Stateless people. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/node/26641
• Livelihoods and economic inclusion. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/what-we-do/build-better-futures/livelihoods-and-economic-inclusion
• Governance and oversight. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/about-unhcr/governance-and-oversight
• Coordinating assistance. (n.d.). UNHCR US; UNHCR. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/what-we-do/respond-emergencies/coordinating-assistance