The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR marks 75 years this month amid record human displacement and massive cuts to international humanitarian aid. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was created in the aftermath of World War II to ensure the protection of people fleeing persecution.  

Since WWII, it has evolved from a temporary agency mainly assisting Europeans displaced by war into a global agency operating across the world. It has won the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981. 

UNHCR’s first high commissioner was Gerrit van Heuven Goedhart was a refugee himself who fled from the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. 

Over its life UNHCR has worked to ensure that people who are forced to flee are treated with dignity and fairness and granted the protection they are owed under international law. 

Displacement, currently at almost 120 million, remains a global challenge and despite its challenges, UNHCR’s work is more critical than ever. 

To mark the date, UBNHCR released a statement aimed at the people it serves. 

“Refugees, you are not alone,” the statement began. 

“Right now, more than 117 million people remain forcibly displaced globally, having been forced to flee their homes. Every minute, someone escapes war or persecution just to survive,” it said. 

“The right to seek asylum – our collective pledge to offer safety to people with a well-founded fear of persecution or those fleeing conflict and war – was signed in ink by States in 1951. Yet that promise that the world made 75 years ago to protect people forced to flee their homes is under threat – more now than in living memory. 

“The challenges are immense: displacement is now more complex and longer lasting; peace is hard to reach; and funding gaps are decimating essential programmes. At times, it can feel like fear and division are drowning out compassion. Asylum spaces are shrinking. Xenophobia is on the rise. 

“And we hear the voices undermining the Refugee Convention, which was born from the horrors of World War II to ensure that those fleeing for their life would be able to find safety. 

“Humanitarian funding has been slashed – for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, by some 35 per cent this year to date – leaving millions without access to safety, food, shelter and vital protection services, let alone the means to re-start independently. 

“Our reply is simple: the principle of asylum is life-saving and indispensable. It must be upheld. On Sunday, 14 December 2025, it will be 75 years to the day since the adoption of the 1950 Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

“During those decades, the Convention has saved millions of lives. And our mandate – to protect those forced to flee and help them rebuild their lives in dignity – remains as crucial as ever. 

“And beyond the noise, another story is alive – a story of hope. Communities everywhere are still standing with refugees. Volunteers greeting families at airports. Teachers finding space in classrooms. Neighbours opening their doors. Companies offering jobs. Universities providing scholarships. Ordinary people are still doing extraordinary things, proving that humanity wins over hate,” the statement said. 

Since its establishment on 14 December 1950, UNHCR has protected the rights of millions of refugees and others forced to flee their homes.  

UNHCR continues to play a critical role in promoting and supervising the application of the treaties which underlie the international protection regime. 

It also has an operational role in a range of displacement contexts, delivering life-saving assistance including shelter, food, water and basic household items, as well as support to access education and medical care. 

The agency works to ensure that sustainable, longer-term planning is embedded from the start of any emergency, while always ensuring that protection remains at the heart of its humanitarian response. 

Currently, the challenges UNHCR faces are immense. 

One in every 70 people on Earth is displaced. Conflict, persecution, human rights abuses and the impacts of climate change and disasters are contributing to displacement at near-record levels. 

At the same time, some nations are adopting ever-restrictive policies and processes to block access to their territory and undermine refugee rights. 

Recent funding cuts have left UNHCR facing a $US1.3 billion shortfall compared to 2024. As a result, the agency has been forced to eliminate 5,000 positions, close or merge 185 offices, and cut life-saving programs – representing a reversion to budget levels of a decade ago, despite having for twice as many displaced people seeking support today. 

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12/unhcr-at-75-an-enduring-mandate/