R (ex parte European Roma Rights Centre et al) v. Immigration Officer at Prague Airport and another (UNHCR intervening)

Abstract

28 September 2004 The following is the amicus curiae brief filed by UNHCR in the Prague Airport case reported in the last issue of the journal. This has been kindly supplied by the Department of International Protection of UNHCR, Geneva . 1. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (‘UNHCR’), which has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, intervenes in the present appeal with the leave of your Lordships' House. UNHCR has been entrusted by the United Nations General Assembly with the responsibility of providing international protection to refugees within its mandate and of seeking permanent solutions to the problems of refugees. The Statute of the Office, annexed to General Assembly Resolution 428 (V) of 14 December 1950, specifies that the High Commissioner shall provide for the protection of refugees falling under the competence of the Office by, among others: ‘Promoting the conclusion and ratification of international conventions for the protection of refugees, supervising their application and proposing amendments thereto…’ Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNGA Res. 428(V), 14 December 1950, Annex, paragraph 8.