Part II Commercial Aspects of the Marine Environment, 12 The Contribution of UNHCR to Ocean Governance

Abstract

This chapter discusses the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in ocean governance. Created in 1950 to replace the International Refugee Organization, the UNHCR provides protection to refugees and displaced persons. In addition to promoting the development and ratification of multilateral and bilateral agreements for the protection of refugees, the UNHCR assists governments and private organizations dealing with the repatriation or settlement of refugees in host countries. The chapter first provides a brief overview of the UNHCR’s beginnings and the progressive expansion of its mandate before analysing the role of the UNHCR Executive Committee (ExCom). It then considers how the UNHCR handles crises involving irregular migration by sea, including the Haitian crisis and the Indochinese crisis, along with its influence on the development of the international legal framework of search and rescue services. Finally, it highlights the ways in which the UNHCR contributes to ocean governance.