United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Mandate and legal framework

UNHCR’s mandate is grounded in international treaties and customary international law. The agency’s protection work is primarily guided by the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, which set out key rights and state responsibilities; these instruments are often cited together as the legal foundation for refugee protection (1951 Refugee Convention). UNHCR’s activities are also informed by other human rights and humanitarian law standards (other international law), and its role has expanded over time to address statelessness and, when mandated or requested, to assist internally displaced people.

Key activities

UNHCR’s work combines protection, assistance and solutions. Major functions include:

• Protection: legal advice, refugee status determination, advocacy to ensure access to asylum and respect for fundamental rights. For background on the refugee concept see what constitutes a refugee.
• Humanitarian assistance: providing shelter, water and sanitation, health, education and other basic services in camps or urban settings.
• Durable solutions: promoting voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity, local integration where feasible, and resettlement to third countries when return or integration are not possible.
• Policy and prevention: working with governments to improve legal frameworks, reduce statelessness, and build national capacity for protection.

Organization, funding and partnerships

The agency is led by the High Commissioner and operates through regional bureaux and field offices in many countries. UNHCR depends mainly on voluntary funding from states, intergovernmental organizations and private donors rather than assessed UN contributions. It coordinates closely with national authorities, non-governmental organizations and other UN agencies, and participates in system-wide coordination mechanisms such as the United Nations Development Group chaired by UNDP.

History and notable facts

UNHCR was created in the aftermath of World War II to respond to large-scale displacement in Europe; since then its mandate and presence have grown as new crises have arisen worldwide. The organization has been recognized for its humanitarian work with the Nobel Peace Prize twice, first in 1954 and again in 1981.

Contemporary challenges

Contemporary issues include prolonged or protracted displacement that can last for decades, growing mixed migration flows that combine refugee and economic movement, tight funding that limits response capacity, and emerging drivers such as environmental change. While the 1951 Convention remains central to refugee protection, states and international organizations continue to develop complementary approaches to address people on the move and the complex humanitarian contexts they face.