UNHCR's Global Trends Report Highlights Urgent Need for International Support

## Overview and Mission The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), often referred to as the UN Refugee Agency, is a specialized body within the United Nations system tasked with protecting and assisting refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless individuals, and others forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution, or disaster[1][3]. Established in 1950 by the UN General Assembly, the agency was initially created to help Europeans displaced by World War II, but its mandate has since expanded globally in response to the growing complexity of displacement crises[1][2]. UNHCR’s core mission is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, ensuring they can seek asylum, find safe refuge, and have access to durable solutions such as voluntary return, local integration, or resettlement in a third country[2][3]. The agency operates under the guidelines of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines who qualifies as a refugee and outlines their rights and the obligations of states to protect them[1]. ## History and Evolution UNHCR’s roots can be traced to earlier international efforts to address refugee crises, including the League of Nations’ appointment of the first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921[3]. However, the modern UNHCR was established in the aftermath of World War II, with a temporary three-year mandate that has been repeatedly extended due to ongoing global needs[1][2]. Over the decades, UNHCR has responded to major displacement events, from the Hungarian Revolution and the Vietnam War to the Syrian Civil War and recent crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan[1]. Its scope has broadened to include not only refugees but also internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless people, and others at risk[3][6]. ## Key Achievements UNHCR has helped an estimated 50 million people restart their lives since its inception, earning it the Nobel Peace Prize twice—in 1954 and 1981—for its humanitarian efforts[4