Five key challenges for new UN refugee chief

Filippo Grandi arrived in Geneva this week to begin his five-year term as head of the UN’s refugee agency.

Unlike many of his predecessors, he is not a former politician. Instead, he has had a long career with the UN, including a stint as head of UNRWA, the agency for Palestinian refugees. His experience in the humanitarian and refugee sectors made him a popular insider’s choice for the role of High Commissioner, but he will also need considerable diplomatic skills to be effective as UNHCR’s chief fundraiser and refugee advocate at such a crucial time in the agency’s history.

Here are five of the greatest challenges likely to preoccupy him in the coming months:

  • Providing protection and support to more than 60 million forcibly displaced people
  • Dealing with protracted displacement
  • Doing more with less
  • Threats to refugee protection posed by growing security concerns
  • Addressing root causes of displacement

Read the full article on Irinnews


Related Articles

Syria: Citing lack of action, UN envoy cuts short humanitarian taskforce meeting

08/18/2016. He said it was to signal “deep unhappiness” about the lack of a pause that is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching anywhere in Syria.

There Are No Real ‘Safe Zones’ and There Never Have Been

03/30/2017. “In a very short space of time, those designated safe areas can become very unsafe,” Chris Boian, spokesman for the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Courtesy visit of Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan at the Magistral Palace

10/03/2019. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan paid a courtesy visit to the Grand Master, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre, who was accompanied by the Grand Chancellor Albrecht Boeselager.