The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is an UN agency under the authority of the General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council mandated to work for a brighter future for refugees, displaced populations, and stateless people.

 

The four main objectives of the UNHCR are to reduce host-country pressures, increase refugee self-resilience, expand access to third-country solutions, and support conditions in countries of origin for safe and dignified repatriation.

 

In order to aid millions of Europeans who had left or lost their homes as a result of World War II, the United Nations Refugee Agency was founded in 1950. After more than 70 years of existence, the organization now covers 132 countries and territories worldwide due to decolonization and refugee crises stemming from armed conflicts. The 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol serve as the cornerstone supporting UNHCR's operations. The definition, fundamental rights, and legal requirements for states to protect refugees are outlined in these legal instruments. The committee's core principle, non-refoulement, states that refugees shouldn't be returned to their place of origin if their life or freedom is seriously in jeopardy.