UNHCR

About

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.
The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees 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 the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people.

Legal Provisions

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (commonly known as the Refugee Convention) and its 1967 Protocol are the key legal documents that form the basis of UNHCR’s work.
With more than 140 State parties to either or both, they define the term ‘refugee’ and outline the rights of refugees, as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them.
The core principle is non-refoulement, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. This is now considered a rule of customary international law.
UNHCR serves as the ‘guardian’ of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
India has not been a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol. However, it continues to grant asylum to a large number of refugees from neighbouring States and respects UNHCR’s mandate for other nationals, mainly from Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Why in News?

A latest report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the number of people forcibly displaced around the world has climbed to a record 110 million.
With conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan spurring millions of people to flee their homes, the increase of around 19 million people to 108.4 million by the end of last year is the biggest annual jump on record.
That number has since risen further to 110 million, mostly due to Sudan’s eight-week conflict.

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