UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.
UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to protect and safeguard the rights of refugees. It also supports former refugees who have returned to their home country, people displaced within their own country, and people who are stateless or whose nationality is disputed. It is guided by and act as the guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
For more information: – https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme (ExCom) meets in Geneva annually to review and approve the agency’s programmes and budget, advise on international protection and discuss a range of other issues with UNHCR and intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.
ExCom’s origins and mandate
The United Nations’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1958 [Resolution 672 (XXV)], and the governing body formally came into existence on 1 January 1959.
Although established by ECOSOC, ExCom functions as a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and its documentation is issued in a General Assembly series. ExCom’s report is submitted directly to the General Assembly for consideration in the Third Committee.
For more information: – https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/governance-and-oversight/executive-committee
UNHCR-Ethiopia Office
Since 1969, UNHCR Ethiopia has been protecting and assisting camp-based and urban refugees of 20 nationalities, the majority of whom are Somali and Sudanese.
With a representation office in Addis Ababa, UNHCR has a robust field presence including in Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Oromia, Somali and Tigray regions as well as in the eastern city of Dire Dawa. The Ethiopia operation focuses on emergency response to the different IDP situations, addressing protection needs of refugees and promoting their self-reliance in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).
For more information: – https://www.unhcr.org/countries/ethiopia
Refugees in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, a country hosting over 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers, has a proud history of providing protection and assistance to the refugees and asylum seekers which dates back to the 7th century. Since then, despite the challenges, Ethiopia has kept its door open for people who seek international protection. We strongly believe that such a longstanding generosity proves Ethiopia’s solidarity to humanity.
Ethiopia’s Refugee Proclamation grants refugees the right to basic services, work, and freedom of movement. Despite Ethiopia’s progressive laws and policies challenges persist in translating these policies into tangible socioeconomic outcomes for refugees due to lack international support. Ethiopia works very closely with States, UNHCR, international financial institutions and private sectors to achieve the objectives of the Global compact for Refugees (GCR).
For more information: – https://rrs.et/
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Established in 1951, IOM is part of the United Nations System and stands as the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration.
IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing support to migrants across the world, developing effective responses to the shifting dynamics of migration and providing advice on migration policy and practice.
IOM’s work is focused on the following three objectives:
- Saving lives and protecting people on the move: To fulfill this objective, IOM puts the safety, dignity and protection of people first in the most challenging crisis response contexts in the world.
- Driving solutions to displacement: In response to this aim, IOM endeavors to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, conflict and instability for communities affected by or at risk of displacement.
- Facilitating pathways for regular migration: To address this pursuit, IOM prioritizes whole-of-government, whole-of-society approaches to safely connect people, goods, services, knowledge and innovation.
For more information: – https://www.iom.int/who-we-are
Ethiopia and IOM
Since its first presence in Ethiopia in 1995, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been contributing to the efforts of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) to effectively manage migration through a wide variety of projects and programmes. Today, IOM’s presence in Ethiopia includes its Country Office in Addis Ababa, fourteen Field/Sub-Offices across the country covering all Regional States, five Migration Response Centres (MRCs) along key migratory routes, three migration health assessment clinics (MHACs), and three transit centres for returning migrants and departing refugees.
In 2005, IOM took a bold step to designate the mission in Ethiopia as Special Liaison Mission (IOM/SLM) with liaison functions to the African Union (AU), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Today, IOM Ethiopia’s liaison functions intersect with all other programme areas in the Mission and liaises with African and international bodies, including the AU and UNECA, to support continent-wide migration governance and policy initiatives.
For more information: – https://ethiopia.iom.int/iom-ethiopia
Migration in Ethiopia
Ethiopia as a country of origin, transit and destination for cross border migration, Ethiopia has played a key role in the ratification process of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Ethiopia is also one of the champion countries of GCM.
Ethiopia is working to address the root causes of irregular migration more importantly by fighting poverty through job creation, skills development, easing access to credit facilities and encouraging entrepreneurship. At the same time, Ethiopia has signed several labour agreements with Gulf Countries to ensure migration remains, safe, regular, and orderly. Irregular migration, human trafficking and smuggling remain key challenges for Ethiopia. Victims of trafficking often face a huge challenge in terms of migrant workers’ rights, forced labour, exploitation, and abuses of all forms. Ethiopia works with States and International Organization for Migration (IOM)to address those challenges. In addition, we use different regional and interregional cooperations to mitigate this problem.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC is a neutral, independent organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for people affected by armed conflict and other violence.
It works based on international humanitarian law, which is set out in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
It takes action to assist the victims of armed conflict and other violence, and at the same time promote respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation in domestic law.
For more information: – https://www.icrc.org/en/our-mandate-and-mission
ICRC office in Ethiopia
The ICRC has been permanently present in Ethiopia for more than 40 years, since the 1977 Ethio-Somali armed conflict. In 1981 we signed a headquarters agreement with the government of Ethiopia.
For more information: – https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/ethiopia
Ethiopian Red Cross Society
The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), one of the 192 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world, was founded on July 8th, 1935, by government Decree, following the second Italian invasion of Ethiopia. It began by providing humanitarian services to wounded soldiers and civilian victims. That same year on the 25th of September 1935, ERCS was officially recognized as the 48th member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
For more information: – https://redcrosseth.org/
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
It is the world’s largest humanitarian network. The secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 191 countries, bringing together more than 16 million volunteers for the good of humanity.
The IFRC acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.
It works to improve global humanitarian standards and persuade leaders to act in the interests of vulnerable people.
For more information: – https://www.ifrc.org/who-we-are/about-ifrc
The Permanent Mission of Ethiopia at Geneva promotes Ethiopian Government policies, programs, and strategic engagement with Geneva-based international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and coordination fora responsible for refugees, migration and humanitarian assistance. These include the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as well as several international non-governmental organizations.
The permanent Mission is also responsible for advancing Ethiopia’s policy positions and priorities, reporting and analysing refugee and migration activities in Geneva.
