“The atrocities perpetrated in Gaza and the [occupied] West Bank, in Ukraine, Sudan or Myanmar are evidence of the deliberate abandonment of norms in the name of violent power, conducted with complete impunity by States and non-State entities alike,” said Filippo Grandi.
“People killed while waiting in line to receive food. Civilians massacred in camps where they fled for safety. Hospitals and schools destroyed. A record number of aid workers killed.”
Addressing the agency’s annual executive meeting in Geneva for the last time before stepping down in December, Mr. Grandi said that its fundamental mission remains as relevant today as when it was mandated 75 years ago: to provide refuge to those fleeing danger and find solutions to their plight.
122 million people uprooted
And against the backdrop of 122 million people displaced today by war and persecution – almost double the number a decade ago – the UNHCR chief highlighted the unsuccessful efforts of governments to prevent an influx of asylum seekers, which in turn had led to growing calls to reform “or even scrap” the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The international accord obliges countries to provide protection to anyone fleeing war, violence, discrimination and persecution; those who do not meet those criteria “can be returned to their countries…or [to] a third country – in a dignified manner,” he noted.
However, “I am worried that the current debate – in Europe, for example – and some current deportation practices such as in the United States, address real challenges in manners not consistent with international law,” Mr. Grandi continued. “UNHCR is here to advise and support you so that any measures you choose remain lawful.”
Numb to violence
The senior UN official insisted that parties to conflict believe that war and indiscriminate violence are “justifiable, so long as military means are achieved – and norms be damned”.
“No human cost is too high, no image of death or destruction too shocking”, Mr. Grandi continued. “Let there be no mistake: the daily repetition of atrocities is intended to numb our conscience. To make us feel powerless.”
Funding crisis
Turning to the “incredibly damaging” impact of shrinking funding for humanitarian work globally in the face of accelerating humanitarian emergencies, the UNHCR chief called for the focus to shift to a more inclusive and sustainable response.
“Inclusion does not work if policies in host countries isolate refugees or cut them off from opportunities,” Mr. Grandi insisted. “Instead, by opening up access to services and jobs, by lifting restrictions on freedom of movement, by investing in the potential of refugees, host countries generate economic and social dividends, both for themselves and for refugees.”
Mr. Grandi, an Italian national, is the 11th UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He was elected by the UN General Assembly and took office at the start of 2016. His term ends on 31 December.
UNHCR was established in 1950 and has been twice awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its humanitarian work – in 1954 and in 1981.
