Refugee law encompasses both customary law, peremptory norms, and international legal instruments.
The only international instruments directly applying to refugees are
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the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. Both the Convention and the Protocol are open to states, but each may be signed separately. 145 states have ratified the Convention, and 146 have ratified the Protocol. This is the key document to refugee protection plus the text of the Protocol, which removed a deadline and geographical restrictions from the Convention.
For versions in other languages (e.g. Russian, Spanish, French and Chinese) go to http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home.
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Section One
summarizes UNHCR’s mandate of international protecdtion and the aim and principles of emergency
response;
Section Two
deals with emergency management;
Section Three
covers
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the vital sectors and problem areas in refugee emergencies, including health, food, sanitation
and water, as well as key field activities underpinning the operations such as logistics, community
services and registration. The chapters in this section start with a summary so that readers, who
might not need the full level of detail in each of these chapters, can understand the basic principles of
the subject quickly;
Section Four
gives guidance on the support to field operations, primarily administration and staffing;
The Appendices
include a “Toolbox” which gathers, in one location, the standards, indicators and useful references
used throughout the handbook;
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Looking forward, the 2019-2020 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) for the DRC situation aims at addressing
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the needs of new arrivals of Congolese refugees in the region, and those in protracted situations. By supporting livelihoods opportunities and through a resilience-based approach, refugees will be able to contribute to the development of their host countries, and of their country of origin upon their return. Given the limited capacity of host communities to support the impact of massive numbers of refugees, the response strategy will also address the needs of local populations, strengthening peaceful co-existence and building social cohesion.
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The Facilitator's Guide has been piloted in Borno (Nigeria) and in Fafan zone (Somali region, Ethiopia) and improved iteratively after each test.
What does the ROAP have that you won't find in ot
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her methodologies?
It is based on holistic, people-centred approaches that span across sectors and consider people's perceptions, priorities, ways of coping, and assistance preferences.
It introduces the concepts of inter-sector needs profile and inter-sector causal analysis, and how to use these to articulate shared objectives and better integrated and holistic response packages, as opposed to siloed plans.
It introduces the concept of basic needs basket, and how to define the BN basket based on both households' perspective and sector experts' opinions, and acknowledging that needs have different frequencies and timings, and units of analysis (individual, household, community).
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This publication explores how housing, land and property rights issues have been addressed in peace agreements concluded over the past three decades. It provides practical guidance for peace negotiators on all sides in Myanmar and outlines how addre
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ssing these rights in the peace process will build the groundwork needed for an eventual peace agreement or agreements in the country.
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The study on refugee economies shows that refugees and former refugees are contributing positively to Zambia’s economy in various ways and have the
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potential to contribute even further if legal and other obstacles are removed.
The study targeted mainly Congolese, Burundian, Somali, and Rwandan refugees as well as former refugees from Rwanda and Angola in urban areas and the two rural refugee settlements, Mayukwayukwa (Kaoma District/Western Province) and Meheba (Kaulumbila District/North-Western Province).
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The Handbook is a guide to the normative framework for humanitarian action and the operational approaches, coordination structures, and available t
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ools and services that facilitate the mobilization of humanitarian assistance.
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UNHCR, the UN Refuge Agency, and NGO partners are launching an appeal for US$2.7 billion to addr
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ess the live-saving humanitarian needs of South Sudanese refugees in 2019 and 2020.
Five years on since the onset of a brutal civil war, over 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees have sought safety in six neighboring countries Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR). Another 1.9 million remain internally displaced inside South Sudan
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According to 2014 Census data, almost a third of the population in Myanmar do not have adequate identity and civil documentation. Of these, 54 percent are women.
Women who live in remote or conflict affected areas, who are displaced or belong to
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stateless ethnic and religious minorities face the consequences of an insecure legal identity. They cannot enrol their children in school, open a bank account, travel freely or register land.
The report provides an analysis of the gender aspects of citizenship legislation in Myanmar and its application in light of the standards set by the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). It analyses in detail women’s ability to acquire citizenship on an equal basis as men, their ability to acquire, retain or confer citizenship following marriage and their ability to confer citizenship to their children. The report highlights the normative and practical challenges faced by women and proposes ways forward.
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The report presents successful case studies from around the world, including the implementation of minimum protection standards for
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refugee children in Germany, cross border child protection systems in West Africa, and finding alternatives to the detention of migrant children in Zambia. Other countries featured in the report include Afghanistan, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Vietnam, Uganda and the U.S. Each of the initiatives can be replicated in different contexts and inform child-focused actions and policy change at national, regional and global levels to be agreed in the framework of the Compact.
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These country reports provide information on the legal situation for displaced populations, namely asylum seekers, refugees, and returnees, where relevant, regarding access to mobile services, in each country covered