What was born as a temporary office with a Mandate of only three years to resolve the situation of the displaced Europeans afterwards Second World Warbecame one of the most robust and necessary institutions of the United Nations system. He United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) celebrates 75 years of work in a reality that its founders could hardly have imagined.
Since its inception December 14, 1950The organization has evolved from managing the relocation of Europeans after the collapse of the Third Reich to managing multidimensional crises on every continent. His work, which was awarded two Nobel Peace Prizes (1954 and 1981), is now the thermometer of the planet’s political and climatic instability.
Over these seven and a half decades, the term “refugee” has changed. The Convention of 1951 laid the legal foundations. However, UNHCR had to adapt its operations to include:
Authoritarians don’t like that
The practice of professional and critical journalism is a mainstay of democracy. That is why it bothers those who believe that they are the owners of the truth.
-
Internally displaced persons: Those who flee violence but remain within their national borders.
-
Stateless: Millions of people who do not have legal citizenship and live in legal limbo.
-
Climate refugees: A new challenge in which environmental disasters become the main reason for forced migration.
Numbers that challenge the 21st century
As we approach this anniversary, the outlook is bittersweet. Although the UNHCR logistics capacity The number of forcibly displaced people has reached unprecedented levels of technological efficiency – from biometric registration to the management of smart refugee camps over 120 million worldwide.
Protracted conflicts in Regions such as sub-Saharan AfricaThe Crisis in the Middle East and the massive flows in America have tested the financial resilience of the organization. The funding deficit in the face of growing needs is perhaps the biggest obstacle facing the organization as it moves towards its centennial.
The role of diplomacy and legal protection
UNHCR not only supplies tents and food; His most critical work is Legal protection. The organization acts as Main defender of the principle of Non-refoulement (Non-refoulement) ensures that no state forces a person to return to an area where their life is in danger.
Grossi President?
Against the backdrop of growing nationalism and border closures, the 75th anniversary serves as a reminder that the refugee issue is not a question of border security, but a crisis of humanity and shared responsibility: “UNHCR’s ultimate success would be that it would no longer be necessary. However, as long as intolerance and conflict persist, their existence remains the last line of defense for human dignity.”
LT
About The Author
