74-501: The Nansen Refugee Award is a medal issued annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to an individual, group, or organization in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees , displaced , or stateless people. The award was established by UNHCR the organizations first High Commissioner, Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart 1954 as a tribute to Fridtjof Nansen . Fridtjof Nansen
148-523: A Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie was promoted in 2012 to Special Envoy to the High Commissioner. In this role she represents the UNHCR and High Commissioner Filipo Grandi at the diplomatic level and works to facilitate long-term solutions for people displaced by large-scale crises, such as Afghanistan and Somalia. "This is an exceptional position reflecting an exceptional role she has played for us", said
222-433: A UNHCR spokesman. UNHCR is also represented by a number of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors , who at present are: Previous ambassadors include: According to some scholars, with time UNHCR left an initial preference for asylum and resettlement policies, tending to prefer repatriation measures of refugees instead. Sometimes, this might have led the agency's bureaucratic apparatus to adopt pathological behaviours. An example of
296-724: A ceremony in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices , in Geneva . The medal is accompanied by a $ 150,000 US dollar prize. The award was expanded in 2017 to include regional winners for Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe. In 2018, the award was described as the "other Nobel" prize by NPR . United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR )
370-587: A database of refugee information, ProGres, which was created during the Kosovo War in the 1990s. The database today contains data on over 11 million refugees, or about 11% of all displaced persons globally. The database contains biometric data, including fingerprints and iris scans and is used to determine aid distribution for recipients. The results of using biometric verification have been successful. When introduced in Kenyan refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab in
444-582: A high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach. Leaders of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women , UN Office on Drugs and Crime , and the World Bank were present. The summit addressed the root causes and drive for migration and
518-524: A joint livelihood strategy for South Sudan was launched, looking to address this issue with a clearly defined action plan. The strategy targets both refugees (70%) and local communities (30%) in refugee-hosting areas across the country. UNHCR regularly publishes to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) using the identifier XM-DAC-41121. Publication started in 2018, but data is available from 2016 onwards aligning to
592-470: A medal, and a document confirming the prize amount. The money awarded varies over time, depending on the profitability of the Nobel bequest's investments and the exchange rate to the recipient's local currency. Around 2020, typical awards were on the order of roughly 10 million SEK , which translated to roughly 1 million USD. Since 1990, the ceremony has taken place at Oslo City Hall . From 1947 to 1989,
666-479: A prize category. As he was a trained chemical engineer, the categories for chemistry and physics were obvious choices. The reasoning behind the peace prize is less clear. According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, his friendship with Bertha von Suttner , a peace activist and later recipient of the prize, profoundly influenced his decision to include peace as a category. Some Nobel scholars suggest it
740-839: A process leading to the negotiation of the Global Compact for Migration . On 28 September 2016, the UNHCR partnered with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Tehran for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees. FAO highlighted the contributions to be made by FAO towards SSAR objectives on livelihood related activities including livestock and fishery initiatives as well as nutritional projects in Iranian schools. FAO and UNHCR are committed to increasing refugees’ access to livelihood opportunities and reducing dependency on humanitarian aid. Of late,
814-428: A small number of Norwegian academics with expertise in subject areas relating to the prize. Advisers usually have some months to complete reports, which are then considered by the committee to select the laureate. The Committee seeks to achieve a unanimous decision, but it is not always possible. The Nobel Committee typically comes to a conclusion in mid-September, but occasionally the final decision has not been made until
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#1733085818289888-428: Is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees , forcibly displaced communities , and stateless people , and to assist in their voluntary repatriation , local integration or resettlement to a third country . It is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland , and has 20,305 staff working in 136 countries as of December 2023. The office of High Commissioner for Refugees has existed since 1921, when it
962-681: Is a member of the United Nations Development Group , a consortium of organizations dedicated to sustainable development . Following the demise of the League of Nations and the creation of the United Nations the international community was acutely aware of the refugee crisis following the end of World War II . In 1947, the International Refugee Organization (IRO) was founded by the United Nations. The IRO
1036-420: Is a well known, but possibly apocryphal, story that in 1888, after the death of his brother Ludvig, several newspapers published obituaries of Alfred by mistake. One French newspaper condemned him for his invention of military explosives and this is said to have brought about his decision to leave a better legacy after his death. The obituary stated, Le marchand de la mort est mort ("The merchant of death
1110-464: Is both the only person who refused to accept the Nobel Peace Prize and as of 2024, the only Vietnamese who has won the prize. Some commentators have suggested that the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded in politically motivated ways for more recent or immediate achievements, or with the intention of encouraging future achievements. Some commentators have suggested that to award a peace prize on
1184-601: Is dead"), and went on to say, "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday." However, it has been questioned whether or not the obituary in question actually existed. It is also unclear why Nobel wished the Peace Prize to be administered in Norway, which was ruled in union with Sweden at the time of Nobel's death. The Norwegian Nobel Committee speculates that Nobel may have considered Norway better suited to awarding
1258-566: Is undoubtedly that Mahatma Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize. Gandhi could do without the Nobel Peace prize, whether Nobel committee can do without Gandhi is the question." In 1948, following Gandhi's death, the Nobel Committee declined to award a prize on the ground that "there was no suitable living candidate" that year. Later, when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989,
1332-594: The Cold War marked continued inter-ethnic conflict and contributed heavily to refugee flight. In addition, humanitarian intervention by multinational forces became more frequent, and the media began to play a big role, particularly in the lead up to the 1999 NATO mission in FR Yugoslavia , while by contrast, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide had little attention. The genocide in Rwanda caused a massive refugee crisis, again highlighting
1406-497: The European Union have all been the subject of controversy. The 1973 award to Henry Kissinger and Lê Đức Thọ may have been the most controversial, with two members of the selection committee resigning in protest and widespread derision in the press. Foreign Policy has listed Corazon Aquino , Mahatma Gandhi , Eleanor Roosevelt , U Thant , Václav Havel , Ken Saro-Wiwa , and Fazle Hasan Abed as people who "never won
1480-629: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank , including East Jerusalem , are covered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Unlike UNHCR, UNRWA does not have a mandate to resettle Palestine refugees and has no authority to seek lasting durable solutions for refugees. Several new programs have recently been introduced to support and to heighten awareness of
1554-559: The Grand Bargain (humanitarian reform) . The organisation was assessed by Publish What You Fund and included in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index with an overall score of 63.4 which is categorised as a "good" score. Since 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award has been annually awarded to a person or an organization in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees, displaced or stateless people. The UNHCR itself
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#17330858182891628-515: The "Executive Committee to the High Commissioner's Programme", and he or she has to make annual reports to the UN General Assembly and needs to follow their directives. The current High Commissioner is Filippo Grandi , who has held the post since 1 January 2016. Prior to the establishment of the UNHCR, Fridtjof Nansen was the League's High Commissioner for Refugees. The post of High Commissioner has been held by: After 10 years serving as
1702-540: The General Assembly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was founded as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly by Resolution 319 (IV) of the United Nations General Assembly of December 1949. However, the organisation was only intended to operate for 3 years, from January 1951, due to the disagreement of many UN member states over the implications of a permanent body. UNHCR's mandate
1776-763: The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony was held in the Atrium of the University of Oslo Faculty of Law , a few hundred meters from Oslo City Hall. Between 1905 and 1946, the ceremony took place at the Norwegian Nobel Institute . From 1901 to 1904, the ceremony took place in the Storting (Parliament). The medal for the Peace Prize was designed by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland in 1901. Vigeland's profile sculpture of Alfred Nobel differs from Erik Lindberg 's profile of Nobel on
1850-412: The Nobel Peace Prize has, for most of its history, been the subject of numerous controversies . The 2024 prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo from Japan, an organisation formed by survivor groups of atomic bomb victims "for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again". According to Nobel's will,
1924-677: The Norwegian Nobel Committee specifically invites qualified people to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The statutes of the Nobel Foundation specify categories of individuals who are eligible to make nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. These nominators are: The working language of the Norwegian Nobel Committee is Norwegian; in addition to Norwegian the committee has traditionally received nominations in French, German, and English, but today most nominations are submitted in either Norwegian or English. Nominations must usually be submitted to
1998-530: The Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who in the preceding year "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". Alfred Nobel's will further specified that the prize be awarded by a committee of five people chosen by the Norwegian Parliament. Nobel died in 1896 and he did not leave an explanation for choosing peace as
2072-550: The Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization for African Unity Convention , or some other treaty if they left their country, but who presently remain in their country of origin. UNHCR presently has major missions in Lebanon , South Sudan , Chad / Darfur , Democratic Republic of Congo , Iraq , Afghanistan , and Kenya to assist and provide services to IDPs and refugees in camps and in urban settings . UNHCR maintains
2146-493: The Swedish parliament, mocking the (serious but unsuccessful) nomination of Neville Chamberlain . Nominations from 1901 to 1971 have been released in a database. Nominations are considered by the Nobel Committee at a meeting where a shortlist of candidates for further review is created. This shortlist is then considered by permanent advisers to the Nobel institute, which consists of the institute's Director and Research Director, and
2220-541: The U.N. for placement, and an asylum seeker applies within the Country in which asylum is sought. This is why some Countries label refugees as illegal when they did not apply through the U.N. for placement and entered the country unlawfully. In 2007, UNHCR offices in Canada launched an aggressive media campaign to shed light on the plight of refugees. This campaign was meant to humanize the refugee crisis by showing refugees living in
2294-662: The U.N., improperly search for asylum in the United States, ultimately failing to reach their destination and remaining in the Caribbean. However, migrant laws in some of these nations lacked any protections for asylum seekers , including the ability to be recognized as such. In response, the UNHCR organized talks with these nations in Costa Rica in 2009, seeking to address the lack of protections for refugees and their prosecution as unauthorized migrants. A refugee seeker applies through
List of Nansen Refugee Award recipients - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-550: The UNHCR's original role becomes offloaded onto other agencies. Nobel Peace Prize "We who have fought against you, the Palestinians, we say to you today, in a loud and a clear voice; Enough of blood and tears. Enough!" The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish and Norwegian : Nobels fredspris ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel , along with
2442-413: The academic community. Criticisms that have been levelled against some of the awards include allegations that they were politically motivated, premature, or guided by a faulty definition of what constitutes work for peace. The awards given to Mikhail Gorbachev , Yitzhak Rabin , Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat , Lê Đức Thọ , Henry Kissinger , Jimmy Carter , Barack Obama , Abiy Ahmed , and
2516-551: The aim of informing people about current refugee crises. One of these is the annual UNHCR/SARI Fair play Football Cup. The UNHCR was prominent in helping Syrian refugees in Lebanon. When the Lebanese government was unable to withstand the influx of refugees, the UNHCR stepped in and eased the displacement for the refugees mainly by offering food and healthcare. They also helped register the refugees, so they would not be considered illegal in
2590-436: The basis of unquantifiable contemporary opinion is unjust or possibly erroneous, especially as many of the judges cannot themselves be said to be impartial observers. Further criticism holds that the Nobel Peace Prize has become increasingly politicized, in which people are awarded for aspirations rather than accomplishments, which has allowed for the prize to be used for political effect but can cause perverse consequences due to
2664-552: The birth of Bangladesh . Adding to the woes in Asia was the Vietnam War , with millions fleeing Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The 1980s saw new challenges for UNHCR, with many member states unwilling to resettle refugees due to the sharp rise in refugee numbers over the 1970s. Often, these refugees were not fleeing wars between states, but inter-ethnic conflict in newly independent states. The targeting of civilians as military strategy added to
2738-401: The chemistry, literature, physics, and physiology or medicine medals. The dies for Vigeland's peace medal were made by Lindberg as Vigeland was not an engraver. The reverse of the medal features three men in a 'fraternal bond' and the inscription " Pro pace et fraternitate gentium " ("For the peace and brotherhood of men"). The edge of the medal is inscribed with the year of its awarding, with
2812-494: The committee by the beginning of February in the award year. Nominations by committee members can be submitted up to the date of the first Committee meeting after this deadline. In 2009, a record 205 nominations were received, but the record was broken again in 2010 with 237 nominations; in 2011, the record was broken once again with 241 nominations. The statutes of the Nobel Foundation do not allow information about nominations, considerations, or investigations relating to awarding
2886-493: The criteria that the committee uses when they choose a recipient of the prize; and that the adherence to Nobel's will should be more strict. In the article, Norwegian historian Øivind Stenersen argues that Norway has been able to use the prize as an instrument for nation-building and furthering Norway's foreign policy and economic interests. In another 2011 Aftenposten opinion article, the grandson of one of Nobel's two brothers, Michael Nobel, also criticised what he believed to be
2960-449: The difficulties for UNHCR to uphold its mandate, and the UNHCR continued to battle against restrictive refugee policies in so-called "rich" nations. According to a 2021 study, the UNHCR has fulfilled its mandate to serve refugees independent of their location consistently over time. The organization has shown limited bias towards donors in the geographical distribution of its funds. UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 and succeeded
3034-500: The displacement in many nations, so even "minor" conflicts could result in a large number of displaced persons. Whether in Asia, Central America or Africa, these conflicts, fueled by superpower rivalry and aggravated by socio-economic problems within the concerned countries, durable solutions continued to prove a massive challenge for the UNHCR. As a result, the UNHCR became more heavily involved with assistance programs within refugee camps, often located in hostile environments. The end of
List of Nansen Refugee Award recipients - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-457: The earlier United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration . The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees (other than Palestinian refugees , who are assisted by UNRWA ) and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with
3182-569: The end of the decade, two-thirds of UNHCR's budget was focused on operations in Africa, and in just one decade, the organization's focus had shifted from an almost exclusive focus on Europe. In 1967, the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees was ratified to remove the geographical and temporal restrictions of UNHCR under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. As the Convention
3256-627: The eyes of the Lebanese government. Many Syrian refugees are also in Jordan. As UNHCR is a programme governed by the UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council , it cooperates with many other programs and agencies under the United Nations in order to effectively protect the rights of refugees. On 19 September 2016, the UN General Assembly hosted the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants,
3330-641: The issues faced by refugees around the world. These two new programs are a product of the benchmarks set out by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals . The UNHCR works in different regions of the world to raise awareness about the refugee crisis and the needs of these refugees. Since 2009, the UNHCR acknowledged a large presence of migration and refugees in the Caribbean , where the refugee crisis remained largely unreported. The issue stems from refugees who, instead of applying to
3404-516: The largest donors are the United States, the European Union, and Germany. The agency's work includes providing protection , shelter, healthcare and emergency relief , assisting in resettlement and repatriation, and advocating for national and multilateral policies on behalf of refugees. In recognition of its work, UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes , in 1954 and 1981, and a Prince of Asturias Awards for International Cooperation in 1991. It
3478-551: The last meeting before the official announcement at the beginning of October. The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the King of Norway and the Norwegian royal family on 10 December each year (the anniversary of Nobel's death). The Peace Prize is the only Nobel Prize not presented in Stockholm . The Nobel laureate receives a diploma,
3552-617: The latter, according to Barnett and Finnemore, was the handling of the 1995 Rohingyan crisis. At the time, thousands of Rohingyans were fleeing Burma (or Myanmar ), seeking shelter in UNHCR camps in Bangladesh. According to some, UNHCR has been decisive in promoting the repatriation of refugees, although Non-Governmental Organizations on the field and the UN were skeptical about better political and security conditions in Burma. Also, controversies arose on
3626-538: The methods with which the UNHCR staff was conducting surveys in the camps to establish whether refugees were willing to move back to Burma or not. A paper published in the International Migration review puts forward the point that since the organization’s creation in 1951, overlapping and competing organizations have been created. The paper highlights that this creates opportunities in the form of inter-organization cooperation, but also challenges in that most of
3700-559: The midst of disturbing conditions. Using emotional appeals to raise public awareness, the campaign hoped to increase the interest of particularly "30 to 45-year-old professionals who are generally well educated, well-read, but have not had direct experience or knowledge of refugee issues", according to fund-raising officer Jonathan Wade. In Ireland, the UNHCR works to inform the public through different channels. The UNHCR in Ireland actively pursues media relations. It also holds public events with
3774-650: The name of its recipient and "Prix Nobel de la Paix". As of October 2023 , the Peace Prize has been awarded to 111 individuals and 27 organizations; 19 women have won the Nobel Peace Prize, more than for any other Nobel Prize. Only two recipients have won multiple Prizes: the International Committee of the Red Cross has won three times (1917, 1944, and 1963) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has won twice (1954 and 1981). Lê Đức Thọ
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#17330858182893848-776: The necessity of global cooperation. As a result of this summit, the United Nations unveiled a draft set of principles that urge the international community to build on the momentum set by the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (2016). Specifically, the 20 draft principles focus on human rights; non-discrimination; rescue and assistance; access to justice; border governance; returns; violence; detention; family unity; child migrants; women migrants; right to health ; adequate standard of living; decent work; right to education; right to information; monitoring and accountability; migrants’ human rights defenders; data; and international cooperation. The declaration set off
3922-476: The neglect of existing power politics, including the breakdown of fragile peace processes. In 2011, a feature story in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten contended that major criticisms of the award were that the Norwegian Nobel Committee ought to recruit members from professional and international backgrounds, rather than retired members of parliament; that there is too little openness about
3996-663: The number in 2015 – fell under the mandate of the UNHCR). The sharp increase was mainly attributed to the Syrian Civil War , "with the outbreak of armed crises or the deterioration of ongoing ones in countries like Afghanistan , Burundi , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Mali , Somalia , South Sudan and the Ukraine contributing to prevailing trends". 2023's Global Trends report states that 43.4 million refugees fell under
4070-405: The option to return home voluntarily , integrate locally or to resettle in a third country . UNHCR's mandate has gradually been expanded to include protecting and providing humanitarian assistance to whom it describes as other persons "of concern", including internally displaced persons (IDPs) who would fit the legal definition of a refugee under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to
4144-444: The organization's mandate, with 73 percent of refugees originating from just five countries: Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Prior data on forced migration organized by georegion included a report by the organization in 2015. It lists: As of 2023 , the UNHCR has employed more than 18,879 staff in 138 countries. The UN General Assembly elects High Commissioners every five years. High Commissioners are supported by
4218-418: The politicisation of the award, claiming that the Nobel Committee has not always acted in accordance with Nobel's will. Author Christopher Hitchens called the Nobel Peace Prize "a huge bore and a fraud" in his memoir Hitch-22 . Military cemeteries in every corner of the world are silent testimony to the failure of national leaders to sanctify human life. Nobel Peace Prize controversies often reach beyond
4292-401: The prize to be made public for at least 50 years after a prize has been awarded. Over time, many individuals have become known as "Nobel Peace Prize Nominees", but this designation has no official standing, and means only that one of the thousands of eligible nominators suggested the person's name for consideration. Indeed, in 1939, Adolf Hitler received a satirical nomination from a member of
4366-541: The prize, as it did not have the same militaristic traditions as Sweden . It also notes that at the end of the 19th century, the Norwegian parliament had become closely involved in the Inter-Parliamentary Union 's efforts to resolve conflicts through mediation and arbitration. The Norwegian Parliament appoints the Norwegian Nobel Committee , which selects the Nobel Peace Prize laureate . Each year,
4440-581: The prize, but should have." The omission of Mahatma Gandhi has been particularly widely discussed, including in public statements by various members of the Nobel Committee. The committee has confirmed that Gandhi was nominated in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and, finally, a few days before his assassination in January 1948. The omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee. Geir Lundestad , Secretary of Norwegian Nobel Committee in 2006 said, "The greatest omission in our 106-year history
4514-490: The prizes in Chemistry , Physics , Physiology or Medicine , and Literature . Since March 1901, it has been awarded annually (with some exceptions) to people who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses ." The Oxford Dictionary of Contemporary History describes it as "the most prestigious prize in
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#17330858182894588-579: The scope and legal framework of the agency's work, which initially focused on Europeans uprooted by the war. Beginning in the late 1950s, displacement caused by other conflicts, from the Hungarian Uprising to the decolonization of Africa and Asia , broadened the scope of UNHCR's operations. Commensurate with the 1967 Protocol to the Refugee Convention , which expanded the geographic and temporal scope of refugee assistance, UNHCR operated across
4662-500: The signing of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees , it became clear that refugees were not solely restricted to Europe. In 1956, UNHCR was involved in coordinating the response to the uprising in Hungary . Just a year later, UNHCR was tasked with dealing with Chinese refugees in Hong Kong , while also responding to Algerian refugees who had fled to Morocco and Tunisia in
4736-470: The wake of Algeria 's war for independence. The responses marked the beginning of a wider, global mandate in refugee protection and humanitarian assistance . Decolonisation in the 1960s triggered large refugee movements in Africa, creating a massive challenge that would transform UNHCR; unlike the refugee crises in Europe, there were no durable solutions in Africa, and many refugees who fled one country only found instability in their new country of refuge. By
4810-491: The world, with the bulk of its activities in developing countries. By its 65th anniversary in 2015, the agency had assisted more than 50 million refugees worldwide. As of June 2020, UNHCR has over 20 million refugees under its mandate. Consequently, its annual budget has grown from US$ 300,000 in 1951 to US$ 8.6 billion in 2019, making it one of the largest UN agencies by expenditure. The vast majority of UNHCR's budget comes from voluntary contributions, mostly from member states;
4884-424: The world." In accordance with Alfred Nobel's will, the recipient is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee , a five-member committee appointed by the Parliament of Norway . The prize award ceremony is held in Oslo City Hall since 1990, previously in the assembly hall of the University of Oslo (1947–1989), Norwegian Nobel Institute (1905–1946), and the Parliament (1901–1904). Due to its political nature,
4958-403: The year 2013, the UN World Food Programme was able to eliminate $ 1.4M in waste and fraud. To achieve its mandate, the UNHCR engages in activities both in the countries of interest and in countries with donors. This includes hosting "expert roundtables" to discuss issues of concern to the international refugee community. Palestinian refugees living in the areas of Jordan , Lebanon , Syria ,
5032-434: Was Nobel's way to compensate for developing destructive forces. His inventions included dynamite and ballistite , both of which were used violently during his lifetime. Ballistite was used in war and the Irish Republican Brotherhood , an Irish nationalist organization, carried out dynamite attacks in the 1880s. Nobel was also instrumental in turning Bofors from an iron and steel producer into an armaments company. There
5106-411: Was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, explorer, and League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the award was established in honour of his work to support refugees. Van Heuven Goedhart felt that creating an award would increase the world's attention to the needs of refugees and increase global refugee aid. The inaugural awardee was Eleanor Roosevelt in 1954. Every year, the prize is presented at
5180-683: Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981. The UNHCR was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize in 2015. In 1991 was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation . Persons of concern include refugees and asylum seekers, people in refugee-like conditions, internally displaced people (IDPs), stateless persons and "others of concern to the UNHCR". The UNHCR's Mid-Year Trends report of June 2015 (based on information for mid-2015 or latest available information up to that date) reported an "unprecedented" 57,959,702 individuals falling under its mandate (for reference, on 1 January 2007, 21,018,589 people – or less than half of
5254-432: Was confined to the refugee crisis in the aftermath of World War II in Europe, the Protocol was made to address the "new refugee situations that have arisen since the Convention was adopted and the refugees concerned that may therefore not fall within the scope of the Convention". In the 1970s, UNHCR refugee operations continued to spread around the globe, with the mass exodus of East Pakistanis to India shortly before
5328-515: Was created by the League of Nations with Norwegian scientist Dr. Fridtjof Nansen as its first occupant. The International Refugee Organization (IRO) was created in 1946 to address the refugee crisis that resulted from World War II . The United Nations established the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1950 as the successor of the IRO. The 1951 Refugee Convention established
5402-521: Was originally set out in its statute, annexed to resolution 428 (V) of the United Nations General Assembly of 1950. This mandate has been subsequently broadened by numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). According to UNHCR, its mandate is to provide, on a non-political and humanitarian basis, international protection to refugees and to seek permanent solutions for them. Soon after
5476-520: Was the first international agency to deal comprehensively with all aspects of refugees' lives. Preceding this was the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration , which was established in 1944 to address the millions of people displaced across Europe as a result of World War II. In the late 1940s, the IRO fell out of favour, but the UN agreed that a body was required to oversee global refugee issues. Despite many heated debates in
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