The Role of International Organisations in the Protection of Refugees

Abstract

A variety of mechanisms exits at the international level for the protection of refugees, the term finds its definitive meanings in various international instruments. As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has advocated a broad interpretation of these instruments in favor of those who are in need of international protection, this chapter focuses on how various UN human rights bodies may use them to enhance the protection of refugees. The author argues that while the UN human rights bodies may not provide a reliable and accessible framework of protection, the chapter provides a number of examples on how the refugee advocates may resort to these mechanisms to-enhance protection principles and enable forms of enforcement. The chapter reiterates how refugee advocates and other related NGOs must play an important role for this positive evolution to result in effective linkages between core human rights standards and refugee protection standards. Keywords:human rights; international organisations; protection of refugees; UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)