109-643: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees , forcibly displaced communities , and stateless people , and to assist in their voluntary repatriation , local integration or resettlement to a third country . It is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland , and has 20,305 staff working in 136 countries as of December 2023. The office of High Commissioner for Refugees has existed since 1921, when it
218-535: A Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie was promoted in 2012 to Special Envoy to the High Commissioner. In this role she represents the UNHCR and High Commissioner Filipo Grandi at the diplomatic level and works to facilitate long-term solutions for people displaced by large-scale crises, such as Afghanistan and Somalia. "This is an exceptional position reflecting an exceptional role she has played for us", said
327-432: A UNHCR spokesman. UNHCR is also represented by a number of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors , who at present are: Previous ambassadors include: According to some scholars, with time UNHCR left an initial preference for asylum and resettlement policies, tending to prefer repatriation measures of refugees instead. Sometimes, this might have led the agency's bureaucratic apparatus to adopt pathological behaviours. An example of
436-597: A database of refugee information, ProGres, which was created during the Kosovo War in the 1990s. The database today contains data on over 11 million refugees, or about 11% of all displaced persons globally. The database contains biometric data, including fingerprints and iris scans and is used to determine aid distribution for recipients. The results of using biometric verification have been successful. When introduced in Kenyan refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab in
545-690: A four-week session each year in July. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations System. The United Nations Secretariat
654-602: A high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach. Leaders of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women , UN Office on Drugs and Crime , and the World Bank were present. The summit addressed the root causes and drive for migration and
763-538: A joint livelihood strategy for South Sudan was launched, looking to address this issue with a clearly defined action plan. The strategy targets both refugees (70%) and local communities (30%) in refugee-hosting areas across the country. UNHCR regularly publishes to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) using the identifier XM-DAC-41121. Publication started in 2018, but data is available from 2016 onwards aligning to
872-456: A majority of United Nations member States or by a single member, as long as a majority concurs. Special sessions typically cover one single topic and end with the adoption of one or two outcome documents, such as a political declaration, action plan or strategy to combat said topic. They are also typically high-level events with participation from heads of state and government, as well as by government ministers. There have been 32 special sessions in
981-719: A modified version of the basic scale, for the costs of peacekeeping operations. The General Assembly is entrusted in the United Nations Charter with electing members to various organs within the United Nations system. The procedure for these elections can be found in Section 15 of the Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly. The most important elections for the General Assembly include those for
1090-868: A process leading to the negotiation of the Global Compact for Migration . On 28 September 2016, the UNHCR partnered with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Tehran for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees. FAO highlighted the contributions to be made by FAO towards SSAR objectives on livelihood related activities including livestock and fishery initiatives as well as nutritional projects in Iranian schools. FAO and UNHCR are committed to increasing refugees’ access to livelihood opportunities and reducing dependency on humanitarian aid. Of late,
1199-517: A range of international issues. These issues came to the fore because of the phenomenal growth and changing makeup of the UN membership. In 1945, the UN had 51 members, which by the 21st century nearly quadrupled to 193, of which more than two-thirds are developing countries . Because of their numbers, developing countries are often able to determine the agenda of the Assembly (using coordinating groups like
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#17327718459561308-486: A report, In Larger Freedom , that criticized the General Assembly for focusing so much on consensus that it was passing watered-down resolutions reflecting "the lowest common denominator of widely different opinions." He also criticized the Assembly for trying to address too broad an agenda, instead of focusing on "the major substantive issues of the day, such as international migration and the long-debated comprehensive convention on terrorism." Annan recommended streamlining
1417-486: A year under a president elected from among the representatives. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the United Nations, appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations and make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions . It has also established a wide number of subsidiary organs . The United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
1526-653: Is a member of the United Nations Development Group , a consortium of organizations dedicated to sustainable development . Following the demise of the League of Nations and the creation of the United Nations the international community was acutely aware of the refugee crisis following the end of World War II . In 1947, the International Refugee Organization (IRO) was founded by the United Nations. The IRO
1635-598: Is also a Senior Management Group , composed of some of the senior officials in the secretariat and the funds and programmes at the Under-Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General rank, which serves as the cabinet of the Secretary-General . The United Nations, its subsidiary bodies, thirteen of the specialized agencies (ILO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, ICAO, UPU, ITU, WMO, IMO, WIPO, IFAD, UNIDO, and UNWTO), and one related body (IAEA) are part of
1744-473: Is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action. Its powers are exercised through United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Security Council held its first ever session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. Since its first meeting,
1853-695: Is headed by the United Nations Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their meetings. It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and other U.N. bodies. The United Nations Charter provides that
1962-470: Is not an agency of the United Nations, but cooperates both on policy and practical issues. On 7 September 2000 the OPCW and the UN signed a co-operation agreement outlining how they were to co-ordinate their activities. Under this agreement, the OPCW reports to the UN General Assembly. The WTO does not have a formal agreement with the UN. Instead, their relationship is governed by exchanges of letters. Unlike
2071-573: Is responsible for staff selection. The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of
2180-595: Is set out in Chapter V of the UN Charter. Security Council members must always be present at UN headquarters in New York so that the Security Council can meet at any time. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is responsible for co-ordinating the economic, social, and related work of 15 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members; it holds
2289-565: Is split into two distinct periods, the main and resumed parts of the session. During the main part of the session, which runs from the opening of the session until Christmas break in December, most of the work of the Assembly is done. This period is the Assembly's most intense period of work and includes the general debate and the bulk of the work of the six Main Committees. The resumed part of the session, however, which runs from January until
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#17327718459562398-610: The Cold War marked continued inter-ethnic conflict and contributed heavily to refugee flight. In addition, humanitarian intervention by multinational forces became more frequent, and the media began to play a big role, particularly in the lead up to the 1999 NATO mission in FR Yugoslavia , while by contrast, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide had little attention. The genocide in Rwanda caused a massive refugee crisis, again highlighting
2507-506: The G77 ), the character of its debates, and the nature of its decisions. For many developing countries, the UN is the source of much of their diplomatic influence and the principal outlet for their foreign relations initiatives. Although the resolutions passed by the General Assembly do not have binding forces over the member nations (apart from budgetary measures), pursuant to its Uniting for Peace resolution of November 1950 (resolution 377 (V)),
2616-653: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank , including East Jerusalem , are covered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Unlike UNHCR, UNRWA does not have a mandate to resettle Palestine refugees and has no authority to seek lasting durable solutions for refugees. Several new programs have recently been introduced to support and to heighten awareness of
2725-576: The Grand Bargain (humanitarian reform) . The organisation was assessed by Publish What You Fund and included in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index with an overall score of 63.4 which is categorised as a "good" score. Since 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award has been annually awarded to a person or an organization in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees, displaced or stateless people. The UNHCR itself
2834-573: The Methodist Central Hall in London and included representatives of the 51 founding nations. Most questions are decided in the General Assembly by a simple majority . Each member country has one vote. Voting on certain important questions—namely recommendations on peace and security; budgetary concerns; and the election, admission, suspension, or expulsion of members—is by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Apart from
2943-702: The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), was merged with other elements of the United Nations System into a new organization, UN Women , in January 2011. Various institutes were established by the General Assembly to perform independent research and training. One former institute, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), was merged with other elements of
3052-839: The United Nations common system of salaries, allowances, and benefits administered by the International Civil Service Commission . Most, but not all, of the members of the United Nations System are part of the common system; the Bretton Woods institutions (i.e. the World Bank Group and the IMF) are notable exceptions. The WTO utilizes the OECD common system . The UN common system was established to prevent competition amongst organizations of
3161-578: The trust territories attained independence and the decolonization movement progressed, the functions of the Special Political Committee were merged into the Fourth Committee during the 1990s. Each main committee consists of all the members of the General Assembly. Each elects a chairman, three vice chairmen, and a rapporteur at the outset of each regular General Assembly session. These are not numbered. According to
3270-450: The "Executive Committee to the High Commissioner's Programme", and he or she has to make annual reports to the UN General Assembly and needs to follow their directives. The current High Commissioner is Filippo Grandi , who has held the post since 1 January 2016. Prior to the establishment of the UNHCR, Fridtjof Nansen was the League's High Commissioner for Refugees. The post of High Commissioner has been held by: After 10 years serving as
3379-604: The 1946-1951 period the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic Social Council also conducted proceedings at the United Nations interim headquarters at Lake Success, New York . During this time in 1949, the CBS Television network provided live coverage of these sessions on its United Nations in Action broadcast series which was produced by the journalist Edmund Chester . It moved to
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3488-429: The Assembly may also take action if the Security Council fails to act, owing to the negative vote of a permanent member , in a case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression. The Assembly can consider the matter immediately with a view to making recommendations to Members for collective measures to maintain or restore international peace and security. The first session of
3597-553: The CEB, namely the High-level Committee on Programme (HCLP), the High-level Committee on Management (HCLM) and the United Nations Development Group (UNDG). Each of those bodies has, in turn, developed a subsidiary machinery of regular and ad hoc bodies on the substantive and managerial aspects of inter-agency co-ordination. The committee structure is supported by a CEB secretariat located in New York and Geneva. There
3706-566: The European Union (since 1974). Further, the United Nations General Assembly may grant observer status to an international organization or entity, which entitles the entity to participate in the work of the United Nations General Assembly, though with limitations. The agenda for each session is planned up to seven months in advance and begins with the release of a preliminary list of items to be included in
3815-435: The General Assembly and the other principal organs to ensure better coordination on topical issues that required coordinated action by the United Nations, in accordance with their respective mandates. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or United Nations People's Assembly (UNPA), is a proposed addition to the United Nations System that eventually could allow for direct election of UN parliament members by citizens all over
3924-604: The General Assembly simply appointing the candidate that receives the Council's nomination. The United Nations Regional Groups were created in order to facilitate the equitable geographical distribution of seats among the Member States in different United Nations bodies. Resolution 33/138 of the General Assembly states that "the composition of the various organs of the United Nations should be so constituted as to ensure their representative character." Thus, member states of
4033-430: The General Assembly through an executive board. Only one UN programme has ever closed in the history of the organization, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), which ceased to exist in 1959 and was subsequently replaced by the UNHCR. Each of the funds and programmes is headed by an executive director at the under-secretary-general level and is governed by an executive board. One former fund,
4142-545: The General Assembly website, the most important are: Other committees of the General Assembly are enumerated . There are six commissions: Despite its name, the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was actually a subsidiary body of ECOSOC . There are seven boards which are categorized into two groups: a) Executive Boards and b) Boards The newest council is the United Nations Human Rights Council , which replaced
4251-591: The General Assembly's agenda, committee structure, and procedures; strengthening the role and authority of its president ; enhancing the role of civil society ; and establishing a mechanism to review the decisions of its committees, in order to minimize unfunded mandates and micromanagement of the United Nations Secretariat . Annan reminded UN members of their responsibility to implement reforms, if they expect to realize improvements in UN effectiveness. The reform proposals were not taken up by
4360-406: The General Assembly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was founded as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly by Resolution 319 (IV) of the United Nations General Assembly of December 1949. However, the organisation was only intended to operate for 3 years, from January 1951, due to the disagreement of many UN member states over the implications of a permanent body. UNHCR's mandate
4469-679: The Security Council for two-year terms, 18 members of the Economic and Social Council for three-year terms, and 14–18 members of the Human Rights Council for three-year terms. It also elects the leadership of the next General Assembly session, i.e. the next President of the General Assembly, the 21 vice presidents, and the bureaux of the six main committees. Elections to the International Court of Justice take place every three years in order to ensure continuity within
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4578-635: The Security Council if supported by at least seven members, or by a majority of Member States of the United Nations. If enough votes are had, the Assembly must meet within 24 hours, with Members being notified at least twelve hours before the opening of the session. There have been 11 emergency special sessions in the history of the United Nations. The General Assembly subsidiary organs are divided into five categories: committees (30 total, six main), commissions (six), boards (seven), councils (four) and panels (one), working groups, and "other." The main committees are ordinally numbered , 1–6: The roles of many of
4687-559: The Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization for African Unity Convention , or some other treaty if they left their country, but who presently remain in their country of origin. UNHCR presently has major missions in Lebanon , South Sudan , Chad / Darfur , Democratic Republic of Congo , Iraq , Afghanistan , and Kenya to assist and provide services to IDPs and refugees in camps and in urban settings . UNHCR maintains
4796-549: The U.N. for placement, and an asylum seeker applies within the Country in which asylum is sought. This is why some Countries label refugees as illegal when they did not apply through the U.N. for placement and entered the country unlawfully. In 2007, UNHCR offices in Canada launched an aggressive media campaign to shed light on the plight of refugees. This campaign was meant to humanize the refugee crisis by showing refugees living in
4905-676: The U.N., improperly search for asylum in the United States, ultimately failing to reach their destination and remaining in the Caribbean. However, migrant laws in some of these nations lacked any protections for asylum seekers , including the ability to be recognized as such. In response, the UNHCR organized talks with these nations in Costa Rica in 2009, seeking to address the lack of protections for refugees and their prosecution as unauthorized migrants. A refugee seeker applies through
5014-645: The UN General Assembly was convened on 10 January 1946 in the Methodist Central Hall in London and included representatives of 51 nations. Until moving to its permanent home in Manhattan in 1951, the Assembly convened at the former New York City Pavilion of the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing, New York . On November 29, 1947, the Assembly voted to adopt the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine at this venue. During
5123-621: The UN General Assembly. The relationship between the IAEA and the UN was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. Unlike the specialized agencies which report to ECOSOC, the IAEA reports to the General Assembly as well as the Security Council. Like the other specialized agency's heads, their executives are part of the United Nations System Chief Executives' Board for Coordination (CEB). The OPCW
5232-605: The UN secretary-general in annual sessions at the General Assembly Building , within the UN headquarters in New York City. The primary phase of these meetings generally runs from September through part of January until all issues are addressed, which is often before the next session starts. It can also reconvene for special and emergency special sessions. The first session was convened on 10 January 1946 in
5341-667: The UNHCR's original role becomes offloaded onto other agencies. United Nations agency The United Nations System consists of the United Nations ' six principal bodies (the General Assembly , Security Council , Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) , Trusteeship Council , International Court of Justice (ICJ) , and the UN Secretariat ), the Specialized Agencies and related organizations. The UN System includes subsidiary bodies such as
5450-508: The United Nations Charter . The UNGA is responsible for the UN budget, appointing the non-permanent members to the Security Council , appointing the UN secretary-general , receiving reports from other parts of the UN system, and making recommendations through resolutions . It also establishes numerous subsidiary organs to advance or assist in its broad mandate. The UNGA is the only UN organ where all member states have equal representation. The General Assembly meets under its President or
5559-399: The United Nations System for staff and to facilitate co-operation and exchange between organizations. Some international organizations that are not part of the United Nations System (and therefore not members of the common system) but who voluntarily follow the policies of the common system in whole or in part include: United Nations General Assembly For two articles dealing with
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#17327718459565668-441: The United Nations System into a new organization, UN Women , in January 2011. The specialized agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other through the co-ordinating machinery of the Economic and Social Council and the Chief Executives Board for Coordination. Each was integrated into the UN System by way of an agreement with the UN under UN Charter article 57 (except ICSID and MIGA, both part of
5777-515: The United Nations System, have seats on the United Nations System Chief Executives' Board for Coordination (CEB). This body, chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations , meets twice a year to co-ordinate the work of the organizations of the United Nations System. The United Nations itself has six principal organs established by the Charter of the United Nations : The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA/GA) consists of all United Nations Member States and meets in regular session once
5886-408: The United Nations World Summit in September 2005. Instead, the Summit solely affirmed the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, as well as the advisory role of the Assembly in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The Summit also called for strengthening the relationship between
5995-400: The United Nations are informally divided into five regions, with most bodies in the United Nations system having a specific number of seats allocated for each regional group. Additionally, the leadership of most bodies also rotates between the regional groups, such as the presidency of the General Assembly and the chairmanship of the six main committees. The regional groups work according to
6104-466: The United Nations has evolved over the years; major resolutions on the process include General Assembly resolutions: 41/213 of 19 December 1986, 42/211 of 21 December 1987, and 45/248 of 21 December 1990. The budget covers the costs of United Nations programmes in areas such as political affairs, international justice and law, international cooperation for development, public information, human rights, and humanitarian affairs. The main source of funds for
6213-479: The World Bank Group). Some organizations have a relationship with the UN defined by an arrangement different from the agreements between the specialized agencies and the UN, which are established under Articles 57 and 63 of the United Nations Charter . The IOM , established in 1951, is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM works to help ensure
6322-528: The aforementioned UNCHR in March 2006. There are a total of four councils and one panel. There is a varied group of working groups and other subsidiary bodies. Countries are seated alphabetically in the General Assembly according to English translations of the countries' names. The country which occupies the front-most left position is determined annually by the secretary-general via ballot draw. The remaining countries follow alphabetically after it. On 21 March 2005, Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented
6431-449: The aim of informing people about current refugee crises. One of these is the annual UNHCR/SARI Fair play Football Cup. The UNHCR was prominent in helping Syrian refugees in Lebanon. When the Lebanese government was unable to withstand the influx of refugees, the UNHCR stepped in and eased the displacement for the refugees mainly by offering food and healthcare. They also helped register the refugees, so they would not be considered illegal in
6540-434: The approval of budgetary matters, including the adoption of a scale of assessment, Assembly resolutions are not binding on the members. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the UN, except matters of peace and security under the Security Council 's consideration. During the 1980s, the Assembly became a forum for "North-South dialogue" between industrialized nations and developing countries on
6649-439: The authority to make final decisions in some areas such as the United Nations budget. The General Assembly can also refer an issue to the Security Council to put in place a binding resolution. From the First to the Thirtieth General Assembly sessions, all General Assembly resolutions were numbered consecutively, with the resolution number followed by the session number in Roman numbers (for example, Resolution 1514 (XV) , which
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#17327718459566758-438: The beginning of the following sessions. The General Assembly votes on many resolutions brought forth by sponsoring states. These are generally statements symbolizing the sense of the international community about an array of world issues. Most General Assembly resolutions are not enforceable as a legal or practical matter, because the General Assembly lacks enforcement powers with respect to most issues. The General Assembly has
6867-502: The beginning of the new session, includes more thematic debates, consultation processes and working group meetings. The general debate of each new session of the General Assembly is held the week following the official opening of the session, typically the following Tuesday, and is held without interruption for nine working days. The general debate is a high-level event, typically attended by Member States' heads of state or government , government ministers and United Nations delegates. At
6976-451: The birth of Bangladesh . Adding to the woes in Asia was the Vietnam War , with millions fleeing Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The 1980s saw new challenges for UNHCR, with many member states unwilling to resettle refugees due to the sharp rise in refugee numbers over the 1970s. Often, these refugees were not fleeing wars between states, but inter-ethnic conflict in newly independent states. The targeting of civilians as military strategy added to
7085-403: The chairmanship of the secretary-general of the UN. The CEB aims to further co-ordination and co-operation on a whole range of substantive and management issues facing UN System organizations. In addition to its regular reviews of contemporary political issues and major concerns facing the UN System, the CEB approves policy statements on behalf of the UN System as a whole. Three committees report to
7194-429: The consensus principle. Candidates who are endorsed by them are, as a rule, elected by the General Assembly in any subsequent elections. The General Assembly meets annually in a regular session that opens on the third Tuesday of September, and runs until the following September. Sessions are held at United Nations Headquarters in New York unless changed by the General Assembly by a majority vote. The regular session
7303-477: The council, which exists in continuous session, has travelled widely, holding meetings in many cities, such as Paris and Addis Ababa, as well as at its current permanent home at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. There are 15 members of the Security Council, consisting of five veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and 10 elected non-permanent members with two-year terms. This basic structure
7412-529: The course of just three months; however, additional workloads have extended these sessions until just short of the next session. The routinely scheduled portions of the sessions normally commence on "the Tuesday of the third week in September, counting from the first week that contains at least one working day," per the UN Rules of Procedure. The last two of these Regular sessions were routinely scheduled to recess exactly three months afterward in early December but were resumed in January and extended until just before
7521-415: The court. In these elections, five judges are elected for nine-year terms. These elections are held jointly with the Security Council, with candidates needing to receive an absolute majority of the votes in both bodies. The Assembly also, in conjunction with the Security Council, selects the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The main part of these elections is held in the Security Council, with
7630-446: The difficulties for UNHCR to uphold its mandate, and the UNHCR continued to battle against restrictive refugee policies in so-called "rich" nations. According to a 2021 study, the UNHCR has fulfilled its mandate to serve refugees independent of their location consistently over time. The organization has shown limited bias towards donors in the geographical distribution of its funds. UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 and succeeded
7739-499: The displacement in many nations, so even "minor" conflicts could result in a large number of displaced persons. Whether in Asia, Central America or Africa, these conflicts, fueled by superpower rivalry and aggravated by socio-economic problems within the concerned countries, durable solutions continued to prove a massive challenge for the UNHCR. As a result, the UNHCR became more heavily involved with assistance programs within refugee camps, often located in hostile environments. The end of
7848-457: The earlier United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration . The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees (other than Palestinian refugees , who are assisted by UNRWA ) and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with
7957-586: The end of the decade, two-thirds of UNHCR's budget was focused on operations in Africa, and in just one decade, the organization's focus had shifted from an almost exclusive focus on Europe. In 1967, the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees was ratified to remove the geographical and temporal restrictions of UNHCR under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. As the Convention
8066-707: The eyes of the Lebanese government. Many Syrian refugees are also in Jordan. As UNHCR is a programme governed by the UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council , it cooperates with many other programs and agencies under the United Nations in order to effectively protect the rights of refugees. On 19 September 2016, the UN General Assembly hosted the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants,
8175-413: The general debate, Member States are given the opportunity to raise attention to topics or issues that they feel are important. In addition to the general debate, there are also many other high-level thematic meetings, summits and informal events held during general debate week. Special sessions, or UNGASS, may be convened in three different ways, at the request of the Security Council, at the request of
8284-524: The history of the United Nations. If the Security Council is unable, usually due to disagreement among the permanent members, to come to a decision on a threat to international peace and security, then emergency special sessions can be convened in order to make appropriate recommendations to member states for collective measures. This power was given to the Assembly in Resolution 377(V) of 3 November 1950. Emergency special sessions can be called by
8393-662: The issues faced by refugees around the world. These two new programs are a product of the benchmarks set out by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals . The UNHCR works in different regions of the world to raise awareness about the refugee crisis and the needs of these refugees. Since 2009, the UNHCR acknowledged a large presence of migration and refugees in the Caribbean , where the refugee crisis remained largely unreported. The issue stems from refugees who, instead of applying to
8502-456: The largest donors are the United States, the European Union, and Germany. The agency's work includes providing protection , shelter, healthcare and emergency relief , assisting in resettlement and repatriation, and advocating for national and multilateral policies on behalf of refugees. In recognition of its work, UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes , in 1954 and 1981, and a Prince of Asturias Awards for International Cooperation in 1991. It
8611-580: The latter, according to Barnett and Finnemore, was the handling of the 1995 Rohingyan crisis. At the time, thousands of Rohingyans were fleeing Burma (or Myanmar ), seeking shelter in UNHCR camps in Bangladesh. According to some, UNHCR has been decisive in promoting the repatriation of refugees, although Non-Governmental Organizations on the field and the UN were skeptical about better political and security conditions in Burma. Also, controversies arose on
8720-558: The main committees have changed over time. Until the late 1970s, the First Committee was the Political and Security Committee and there was also a sufficient number of additional "political" matters that an additional, unnumbered main committee, called the Special Political Committee, also sat. The Fourth Committee formerly handled Trusteeship and Decolonization matters. With the decreasing number of such matters to be addressed as
8829-471: The membership of and participation in the General Assembly, see: The United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA or GA ; French: Assemblée générale , AG ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session , its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of
8938-547: The methods with which the UNHCR staff was conducting surveys in the camps to establish whether refugees were willing to move back to Burma or not. A paper published in the International Migration review puts forward the point that since the organization’s creation in 1951, overlapping and competing organizations have been created. The paper highlights that this creates opportunities in the form of inter-organization cooperation, but also challenges in that most of
9047-562: The midst of disturbing conditions. Using emotional appeals to raise public awareness, the campaign hoped to increase the interest of particularly "30 to 45-year-old professionals who are generally well educated, well-read, but have not had direct experience or knowledge of refugee issues", according to fund-raising officer Jonathan Wade. In Ireland, the UNHCR works to inform the public through different channels. The UNHCR in Ireland actively pursues media relations. It also holds public events with
9156-782: The necessity of global cooperation. As a result of this summit, the United Nations unveiled a draft set of principles that urge the international community to build on the momentum set by the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (2016). Specifically, the 20 draft principles focus on human rights; non-discrimination; rescue and assistance; access to justice; border governance; returns; violence; detention; family unity; child migrants; women migrants; right to health ; adequate standard of living; decent work; right to education; right to information; monitoring and accountability; migrants’ human rights defenders; data; and international cooperation. The declaration set off
9265-683: The number in 2015 – fell under the mandate of the UNHCR). The sharp increase was mainly attributed to the Syrian Civil War , "with the outbreak of armed crises or the deterioration of ongoing ones in countries like Afghanistan , Burundi , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Mali , Somalia , South Sudan and the Ukraine contributing to prevailing trends". 2023's Global Trends report states that 43.4 million refugees fell under
9374-405: The option to return home voluntarily , integrate locally or to resettle in a third country . UNHCR's mandate has gradually been expanded to include protecting and providing humanitarian assistance to whom it describes as other persons "of concern", including internally displaced persons (IDPs) who would fit the legal definition of a refugee under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to
9483-517: The orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. In September 2016, IOM joined the United Nations System as a related organization during the United Nations General Assembly high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants. The CTBTO PrepCom reports to
9592-441: The organization's mandate, with 73 percent of refugees originating from just five countries: Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Prior data on forced migration organized by georegion included a report by the organization in 2015. It lists: As of 2023, the UNHCR has employed more than 18,879 staff in 138 countries. The UN General Assembly elects High Commissioners every five years. High Commissioners are supported by
9701-433: The organization. The Charter of the United Nations gives responsibility for approving the budget to the General Assembly (Chapter IV, Article 17) and for preparing the budget to the secretary-general, as "chief administrative officer" (Chapter XV, Article 97). The Charter also addresses the non-payment of assessed contributions (Chapter IV, Article 19). The planning, programming, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation cycle of
9810-560: The permanent Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City at the start of its seventh regular annual session, on 14 October 1952. In December 1988, in order to hear Yasser Arafat , the General Assembly organized its 29th session in the Palace of Nations , in Geneva , Switzerland. All 193 members of the United Nations are members of the General Assembly, with the addition of the Holy See and Palestine as observer states as well as
9919-538: The principal organs of the United Nations, was established to ensure that trust territories were administered in the best interests of their inhabitants and of international peace and security. The trust territories—most of them are former mandates of the League of Nations or territories taken from nations defeated at the end of World War II—have all now attained self-government or independence, either as separate nations or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last
10028-472: The provisional agenda. This is refined into a provisional agenda 60 days before the opening of the session. After the session begins, the final agenda is adopted in a plenary meeting which allocates the work to the various main committees, who later submit reports back to the Assembly for adoption by consensus or by vote. Items on the agenda are numbered. Regular plenary sessions of the General Assembly in recent years have initially been scheduled to be held over
10137-437: The regular budget is the contributions of member states. The scale of assessments is based on the capacity of countries to pay. This is determined by considering their relative shares of total gross national product, adjusted to take into account a number of factors, including their per capita incomes. In addition to the regular budget, member states are assessed for the costs of the international tribunals and, in accordance with
10246-595: The scope and legal framework of the agency's work, which initially focused on Europeans uprooted by the war. Beginning in the late 1950s, displacement caused by other conflicts, from the Hungarian Uprising to the decolonization of Africa and Asia , broadened the scope of UNHCR's operations. Commensurate with the 1967 Protocol to the Refugee Convention , which expanded the geographic and temporal scope of refugee assistance, UNHCR operated across
10355-479: The separately administered funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other subsidiary entities. Some of these organizations predate the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and were inherited after the dissolution of the League of Nations . The executive heads of some of the United Nations System organizations and the World Trade Organization , which is not formally part of
10464-510: The signing of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees , it became clear that refugees were not solely restricted to Europe. In 1956, UNHCR was involved in coordinating the response to the uprising in Hungary . Just a year later, UNHCR was tasked with dealing with Chinese refugees in Hong Kong , while also responding to Algerian refugees who had fled to Morocco and Tunisia in
10573-473: The specialized agencies and the IAEA, the WTO has no reporting obligations towards any of the principal organs of the UN, but provides ad hoc contribution to the work of the General Assembly and ECOSOC. The WTO has a seat on the CEB. The United Nations Chief Executives' Board for Coordination (CEB) brings together on a regular basis the executive heads of the organizations of the United Nations System, under
10682-461: The staff is to be chosen by application of the "highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity," with due regard for the importance of recruiting on a wide geographical basis. The charter provides that the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any authority other than the UN. Each UN member country is enjoined to respect the international character of the secretariat and not seek to influence its staff. The secretary-general alone
10791-840: The upcoming President of the General Assembly , the Security Council , the Economic and Social Council , the Human Rights Council , the International Court of Justice , judges of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal , and United Nations Appeals Tribunal . Most elections are held annually, with the exception of the election of judges to the ICJ, which happens triennially. The Assembly annually elects five non-permanent members of
10900-522: The wake of Algeria 's war for independence. The responses marked the beginning of a wider, global mandate in refugee protection and humanitarian assistance . Decolonisation in the 1960s triggered large refugee movements in Africa, creating a massive challenge that would transform UNHCR; unlike the refugee crises in Europe, there were no durable solutions in Africa, and many refugees who fled one country only found instability in their new country of refuge. By
11009-487: The world, with the bulk of its activities in developing countries. By its 65th anniversary in 2015, the agency had assisted more than 50 million refugees worldwide. As of June 2020, UNHCR has over 20 million refugees under its mandate. Consequently, its annual budget has grown from US$ 300,000 in 1951 to US$ 8.6 billion in 2019, making it one of the largest UN agencies by expenditure. The vast majority of UNHCR's budget comes from voluntary contributions, mostly from member states;
11118-477: The year 2013, the UN World Food Programme was able to eliminate $ 1.4M in waste and fraud. To achieve its mandate, the UNHCR engages in activities both in the countries of interest and in countries with donors. This includes hosting "expert roundtables" to discuss issues of concern to the international refugee community. Palestinian refugees living in the areas of Jordan , Lebanon , Syria ,
11227-718: Was Palau , formerly part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands , which became a member state of the United Nations in December 1994. The separately administered funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other subsidiary bodies are autonomous subsidiary organs of the United Nations. Throughout its history the United Nations General Assembly has established a number of programmes and funds to address particular humanitarian and development concerns. These are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. These bodies usually report to
11336-871: Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981. The UNHCR was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize in 2015. In 1991 was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation . Persons of concern include refugees and asylum seekers, people in refugee-like conditions, internally displaced people (IDPs), stateless persons and "others of concern to the UNHCR". The UNHCR's Mid-Year Trends report of June 2015 (based on information for mid-2015 or latest available information up to that date) reported an "unprecedented" 57,959,702 individuals falling under its mandate (for reference, on 1 January 2007, 21,018,589 people – or less than half of
11445-487: Was confined to the refugee crisis in the aftermath of World War II in Europe, the Protocol was made to address the "new refugee situations that have arisen since the Convention was adopted and the refugees concerned that may therefore not fall within the scope of the Convention". In the 1970s, UNHCR refugee operations continued to spread around the globe, with the mass exodus of East Pakistanis to India shortly before
11554-520: Was created by the League of Nations with Norwegian scientist Dr. Fridtjof Nansen as its first occupant. The International Refugee Organization (IRO) was created in 1946 to address the refugee crisis that resulted from World War II . The United Nations established the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1950 as the successor of the IRO. The 1951 Refugee Convention established
11663-532: Was originally set out in its statute, annexed to resolution 428 (V) of the United Nations General Assembly of 1950. This mandate has been subsequently broadened by numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). According to UNHCR, its mandate is to provide, on a non-political and humanitarian basis, international protection to refugees and to seek permanent solutions for them. Soon after
11772-654: Was the 1514th numbered resolution adopted by the Assembly and was adopted at the Fifteenth Regular Session (1960)). Beginning in the Thirty-First Session, resolutions are numbered by individual session (for example Resolution 41/10 represents the 10th resolution adopted at the Forty-First Session). The General Assembly also approves the budget of the United Nations and decides how much money each member state must pay to run
11881-528: Was the first international agency to deal comprehensively with all aspects of refugees' lives. Preceding this was the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration , which was established in 1944 to address the millions of people displaced across Europe as a result of World War II. In the late 1940s, the IRO fell out of favour, but the UN agreed that a body was required to oversee global refugee issues. Despite many heated debates in
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