The mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: from post-war diplomacy to global protection and solutions

Created in the wake of the Second World War as the global institution to deal with protection and solutions for refugees, UNHCR has since its inception grappled with complex questions of legal principle and practical reality. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recognized the international character of refugee problems and the need for a dedicated institution to provide international protection and seek solutions for them when it voted in December 1949 to establish the High Commissioner’s Office from 1 January 1951.1 In December 1950, in Resolution 428(V), the UNGA adopted the Statute of the Office, defining its core functions and character as humanitarian, social, and ‘entirely non-political’.2 While the Statute’s provisions were circumscribed in scope and time, the last seven-and-a-half decades have witnessed a remarkable evolution in UNHCR’s authority and responsibility. Through additional resolutions, conclusions of UNHCR’s Executive Committee, and operational practice, UNHCR’s role has expanded well beyond the original focus on post-war European refugees.3