UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

Current Context : The UNHCR has temporarily suspended the process of facilitating the repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees.

ABOUT UNHCR

• Establishment: 1950 by the UN General Assembly, after the Second World War.
• Nature: United Nations agency dedicated to refugees, stateless persons, and internally displaced populations.
• Mandate: To protect rights, provide assistance, and support voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement of displaced populations.
• Legal Framework: Guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Recognition: Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (1954 & 1981).