See also chapter 2 on protection, Annex 1 for a table of international instruments with their short and full titles. Chapter 15 on food and nutrition includes a glossary of technical terms used in that chapter.
Asylum seeker |
An individual whose refugee status has not yet been determined. |
Bureau |
Organizational division at UNHCR Headquarters dealing with a particular region. |
Children |
All persons under the age of 18 (as defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child). |
Convention refugees |
Persons determined to be refugees by the authorities of States that have acceded to the Convention and/or Protocol. As such, they are entitled to claim the rights and benefits which those States have undertaken to accord to refugees. |
EXCOM |
The Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme which currently consists of representatives from 53 states elected on the widest possible geographic basis from those states with a demonstrated interest in and devotion to finding solutions for refugee problems. |
Financial Rules |
The "Financial Rules for Voluntary funds administered by the High Commissioner for Refugees" (document A/AC/96/503/Rev-6 of 1 February 1996). |
Headquarters |
UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. |
Implementing agreement |
Agreement between UNHCR and a partner which defines the conditions governing the implementation of a project. |
Implementing partners |
Operational partner that signs an implementing agreement and receives funding from UNHCR. |
Internally displaced persons |
See definition in chapter 2 on protection. |
IOM/FOM |
An Inter-Office Memorandum/Field Office Memorandum originating from Headquarters and containing management and other instructions. |
Mandate refugees |
Persons considered by UNHCR to be refugees according to the Statute and other relevant General Assembly resolutions. This determination is not dependent upon the state of asylum being party to the 1951 Convention or 1967 Protocol. Mandate refugees can benefit from the High Commissioner's action. They do not, however, benefit from the rights accorded to Convention refugees, unless they are also recognized as refugees by a State party to the Convention. |
Non-governmental organization |
A private voluntary agency created to perform beneficial activities according to its statutes or constitution. |
Operational |
This term is applied to the organization directly implementing an assistance project, e.g. UNHCR becomes operational when it provides assistance directly to refugees. |
Operational partner |
Governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations and UN agencies that work in partnership with UNHCR to protect and assist refugees, leading to the achievement of durable solutions. |
Refugee |
For convenience, the word refugee is used in this handbook to describe any person of concern to UNHCR. Chapter 2 on protection provides definitions of the different categories of persons of concern, including refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless people. |
Representative |
The High Commissioner's representative in the country where the emergency occurs (regardless of the representative's official title). |
The Field |
The area, outside Headquarters, where UNHCR provides protection and assistance to refugees and which contains UNHCR's Regional Offices, Branch Offices, Sub-Offices and Field Offices. |
The Statute |
The Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (General Assembly Resolution 428 (v) of 14 Dec. 1950). "Statutory" should be understood accordingly. |
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees
Case postale 2500
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