United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The United Nations agency mandated to protect refugees, forcibly displaced people, and stateless people. It coordinates international action, provides assistance, and seeks durable solutions such as safe return, local integration, or resettlement.

1951 Refugee Convention: The international treaty defining refugee status and setting standards for refugee protection. It provides the central legal framework that guides UNHCR’s protection work.
International Refugee Organization: A United Nations agency that assisted refugees and displaced people from 1946 until 1952. It was UNHCR’s immediate predecessor in postwar international refugee relief.
Internally displaced person: A person forced to leave home who remains within their own country’s borders. UNHCR leads or supports protection and shelter responses for internally displaced people in many crises.
International Organization for Migration: A United Nations-related organization that works on migration management, services, and humanitarian assistance. IOM addresses migration broadly, while UNHCR has a specific international protection mandate for refugees and related groups.
Nansen Passport: An internationally recognized identity document introduced for refugees and stateless people in the 1920s. This predecessor to modern travel documents illustrates the practical protection tools UNHCR later developed.
Refugee status determination: The process of deciding whether an individual qualifies as a refugee under applicable law. UNHCR conducts or supports these decisions where national asylum systems are absent or inadequate.
United Nations General Assembly: The United Nations’ main deliberative body, in which every member state has one vote. The Assembly established UNHCR in 1950 and defines its mandate.
Refugee camp: A temporary settlement where refugees receive shelter and access to basic services. UNHCR often coordinates camp protection and services, while seeking alternatives to prolonged encampment.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East: A United Nations agency providing services to Palestine refugees in its defined areas of operation. UNRWA serves a distinct population and geography rather than operating as UNHCR’s general refugee agency.
Global Compact on Refugees: A 2018 international framework for sharing responsibility for refugees more equitably. UNHCR facilitated its development and supports states implementing its goals.

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