Dr Mitch Blair, Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, Dr Tony Waterston, and Dr Rachel Crowther
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199547500
- eISBN:
- 9780191720123
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547500.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Despite children making up around a quarter of the population, the first edition of this book was the first to focus on a public health approach to the health and sickness of children and young ...
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Despite children making up around a quarter of the population, the first edition of this book was the first to focus on a public health approach to the health and sickness of children and young people. It combined clinical and academic perspectives to explore the current state of health of our children, the historical roots of the speciality, and the relationship between early infant and child health on later adult health. Child public health is a rapidly developing field, and is increasingly recognised throughout the world as a major area of focus for population health. Targeting the health of children now is essential if we are to achieve a healthy population as adults. For the second edition the text has been revised and updated with new material on health for all children, global warming, child participation, systems theory, refugees, commissioning, and sustainable development.Less
Despite children making up around a quarter of the population, the first edition of this book was the first to focus on a public health approach to the health and sickness of children and young people. It combined clinical and academic perspectives to explore the current state of health of our children, the historical roots of the speciality, and the relationship between early infant and child health on later adult health. Child public health is a rapidly developing field, and is increasingly recognised throughout the world as a major area of focus for population health. Targeting the health of children now is essential if we are to achieve a healthy population as adults. For the second edition the text has been revised and updated with new material on health for all children, global warming, child participation, systems theory, refugees, commissioning, and sustainable development.
Agnès Hurwitz
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199278381
- eISBN:
- 9780191706998
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278381.003.0009
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology, Public International Law
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. Two key questions were examined in this study. The first question dealt with the impact of safe third country practices on interstate ...
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This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. Two key questions were examined in this study. The first question dealt with the impact of safe third country practices on interstate relations. Yet, it is the second question, that is, the impact of safe third country practices on refugee's rights, which raises the greatest concerns, for these practices lead at the very least to States evading their fundamental obligations under international refugee law. It is argued that international supervision of States' obligations under international refugee law needs to be given central attention.Less
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. Two key questions were examined in this study. The first question dealt with the impact of safe third country practices on interstate relations. Yet, it is the second question, that is, the impact of safe third country practices on refugee's rights, which raises the greatest concerns, for these practices lead at the very least to States evading their fundamental obligations under international refugee law. It is argued that international supervision of States' obligations under international refugee law needs to be given central attention.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0011
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The primary international organization involved with refugees is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which was established in 1950 to protect and assist refugees and supervise ...
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The primary international organization involved with refugees is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which was established in 1950 to protect and assist refugees and supervise the implementation of the UN refugee treaty regime. In terms of the broader international system, without significant institutional change, increased financial support and renewed commitment on the part of Member States, the UN will not be capable of executing the critical peacekeeping and peace‐building tasks assigned to it in the coming years.To promote greater coherence in the making and implementing of forced migration policy, a new intellectual capacity is needed. The proposal made by the author is for the establishment of Strategic Humanitarian Action and Research (SHARE), a humanitarian action think tank. SHARE would be both a planning resource and an archive of lessons learned, which ultimately could become an intergovernmental mechanism. It would craft responses to fill the gaps that regularly emerge in post‐crisis situations, particularly in post‐crisis situations when emergency relief is ending, but before the development of a fully functioning state.Less
The primary international organization involved with refugees is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which was established in 1950 to protect and assist refugees and supervise the implementation of the UN refugee treaty regime. In terms of the broader international system, without significant institutional change, increased financial support and renewed commitment on the part of Member States, the UN will not be capable of executing the critical peacekeeping and peace‐building tasks assigned to it in the coming years.
To promote greater coherence in the making and implementing of forced migration policy, a new intellectual capacity is needed. The proposal made by the author is for the establishment of Strategic Humanitarian Action and Research (SHARE), a humanitarian action think tank. SHARE would be both a planning resource and an archive of lessons learned, which ultimately could become an intergovernmental mechanism. It would craft responses to fill the gaps that regularly emerge in post‐crisis situations, particularly in post‐crisis situations when emergency relief is ending, but before the development of a fully functioning state.
Gil Loescher
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246915
- eISBN:
- 9780191599781
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246912.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
For the past half century the UNHCR has been central to the international debates about human rights, conflict resolution, sovereignty, intervention and preventative action, and the role of ...
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For the past half century the UNHCR has been central to the international debates about human rights, conflict resolution, sovereignty, intervention and preventative action, and the role of international organizations in world politics. A central theme is change and continuity in the international political and security systems, in the refugee regime, and in the UNHCR. Contemporary refugee crises are placing the UNHCR under growing pressure regarding both its functions and identity. From focusing almost exclusively on protection and humanitarian relief for refugees in host countries, the UNHCR has progressively taken on additional responsibilities that involve it in a myriad of activities for refugees and non‐refugees alike.Less
For the past half century the UNHCR has been central to the international debates about human rights, conflict resolution, sovereignty, intervention and preventative action, and the role of international organizations in world politics. A central theme is change and continuity in the international political and security systems, in the refugee regime, and in the UNHCR. Contemporary refugee crises are placing the UNHCR under growing pressure regarding both its functions and identity. From focusing almost exclusively on protection and humanitarian relief for refugees in host countries, the UNHCR has progressively taken on additional responsibilities that involve it in a myriad of activities for refugees and non‐refugees alike.
Gil Loescher
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246915
- eISBN:
- 9780191599781
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246912.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Beginning with the establishment by the League of Nations of the first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921, the scope and functions of assistance programmes for refugees gradually expanded, as ...
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Beginning with the establishment by the League of Nations of the first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921, the scope and functions of assistance programmes for refugees gradually expanded, as efforts were made to regularize the status and control of stateless and denationalized people. During and after World War II, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRO) further expanded the international organizational framework for refugees. Since 1951, an international refugee regime—composed of UNHCR and a network of other international agencies, national governments, and voluntary or non‐governmental organizations—has developed a response strategy that permits some refugees to remain in their countries of first asylum, enables some to resettle in third countries and arranges for still others to be repatriated to their countries of origin.Less
Beginning with the establishment by the League of Nations of the first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921, the scope and functions of assistance programmes for refugees gradually expanded, as efforts were made to regularize the status and control of stateless and denationalized people. During and after World War II, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRO) further expanded the international organizational framework for refugees. Since 1951, an international refugee regime—composed of UNHCR and a network of other international agencies, national governments, and voluntary or non‐governmental organizations—has developed a response strategy that permits some refugees to remain in their countries of first asylum, enables some to resettle in third countries and arranges for still others to be repatriated to their countries of origin.
Gil Loescher
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246915
- eISBN:
- 9780191599781
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246912.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
UNHCR was created with a mandate for refugee protection and to provide solutions to refugee problems, but with practically no funds with which to carry out these functions. Despite the inauspicious ...
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UNHCR was created with a mandate for refugee protection and to provide solutions to refugee problems, but with practically no funds with which to carry out these functions. Despite the inauspicious beginnings of the UNHCR and the opposition of the US and the Soviet Union in the early Cold War period, the first High Commissioner, Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, convinced the major powers that their interests in political stability in Europe converged with those of the UNHCR. By gradually enlarging the scope of his office, by obtaining the capacity for independent fund raising through the UN Refugee Emergency Fund and by assuming material assistance responsibilities, the High Commissioner paved the way for the UNHCR to become the centrepiece of the emerging international refugee regime.Less
UNHCR was created with a mandate for refugee protection and to provide solutions to refugee problems, but with practically no funds with which to carry out these functions. Despite the inauspicious beginnings of the UNHCR and the opposition of the US and the Soviet Union in the early Cold War period, the first High Commissioner, Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, convinced the major powers that their interests in political stability in Europe converged with those of the UNHCR. By gradually enlarging the scope of his office, by obtaining the capacity for independent fund raising through the UN Refugee Emergency Fund and by assuming material assistance responsibilities, the High Commissioner paved the way for the UNHCR to become the centrepiece of the emerging international refugee regime.
Gil Loescher
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246915
- eISBN:
- 9780191599781
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246912.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created over 50 years ago to be a human rights and advocacy organization. But governments also created the agency to promote regional ...
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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created over 50 years ago to be a human rights and advocacy organization. But governments also created the agency to promote regional and international stability and to serve the interest of states. Consequently, the UNHCR has always trod a perilous path between its mandate to protect refugees and asylum seekers and the demands placed upon it by states to be a relevant actor in international relations. A key focus is to examine the extent to which the evolution of the UNHCR has been framed by the crucial events of international politics and international security during the past half century and how, in turn, the actions of the first eight High Commissioners have helped shape the course of world history. A central objective is to analyse the development of national and international refugee policies and actions, placing these within the broader contexts of the changing global political and security environments in the Cold War and post–Cold War eras. One of the core findings is that UNHCR has over‐stretched itself in recent decades and has strayed from its central human rights protection role.Less
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created over 50 years ago to be a human rights and advocacy organization. But governments also created the agency to promote regional and international stability and to serve the interest of states. Consequently, the UNHCR has always trod a perilous path between its mandate to protect refugees and asylum seekers and the demands placed upon it by states to be a relevant actor in international relations. A key focus is to examine the extent to which the evolution of the UNHCR has been framed by the crucial events of international politics and international security during the past half century and how, in turn, the actions of the first eight High Commissioners have helped shape the course of world history. A central objective is to analyse the development of national and international refugee policies and actions, placing these within the broader contexts of the changing global political and security environments in the Cold War and post–Cold War eras. One of the core findings is that UNHCR has over‐stretched itself in recent decades and has strayed from its central human rights protection role.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
While frequently neglected as an important aspect of globalization, refugees matter in a variety of ways to states, host communities, and individuals. The end of the cold war changed responses to ...
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While frequently neglected as an important aspect of globalization, refugees matter in a variety of ways to states, host communities, and individuals. The end of the cold war changed responses to forced migration emergencies in fundamental ways. The ideological value of refugees was reduced, and, at the same time, impediments to international intervention were lifted.But there is no single answer, no single tool or even formula or combination of tools to deal with particular displacement situations. Sustainable policy requires the institutionalization of preventive approaches and effective forms of international cooperation.Less
While frequently neglected as an important aspect of globalization, refugees matter in a variety of ways to states, host communities, and individuals. The end of the cold war changed responses to forced migration emergencies in fundamental ways. The ideological value of refugees was reduced, and, at the same time, impediments to international intervention were lifted.
But there is no single answer, no single tool or even formula or combination of tools to deal with particular displacement situations. Sustainable policy requires the institutionalization of preventive approaches and effective forms of international cooperation.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The refugee policy toolbox includes such remedies as territorial asylum, local integration in countries of asylum, and resettlement abroad, as well as new variations on these themes. Efforts at ...
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The refugee policy toolbox includes such remedies as territorial asylum, local integration in countries of asylum, and resettlement abroad, as well as new variations on these themes. Efforts at internal protection before individuals have fled their home countries, have had mixed results. While the quality of asylum for refugees is hardly uniform given the wide discretion permitted to states, under international law, providing access to the territory of an asylum state will continue to be the primary form of protection. The experience in Germany is reflective of a recent trend by states, particularly in Europe, away from asylum as a refugee protection response.Policy planning relating to forced migration is embryonic. The absence of resources, staff, and time devoted to developing strategies to mitigate crises is a glaring deficit in humanitarian action. At the international and national levels, new strategic planning capacities outside of the UN system are necessary.Less
The refugee policy toolbox includes such remedies as territorial asylum, local integration in countries of asylum, and resettlement abroad, as well as new variations on these themes. Efforts at internal protection before individuals have fled their home countries, have had mixed results. While the quality of asylum for refugees is hardly uniform given the wide discretion permitted to states, under international law, providing access to the territory of an asylum state will continue to be the primary form of protection. The experience in Germany is reflective of a recent trend by states, particularly in Europe, away from asylum as a refugee protection response.
Policy planning relating to forced migration is embryonic. The absence of resources, staff, and time devoted to developing strategies to mitigate crises is a glaring deficit in humanitarian action. At the international and national levels, new strategic planning capacities outside of the UN system are necessary.
Dawn Chatty
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264591
- eISBN:
- 9780191734397
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264591.003.0013
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
The chapters presented in this volume have covered a wide range of case studies; the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria and Spain; the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza; the Turkish settlers in ...
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The chapters presented in this volume have covered a wide range of case studies; the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria and Spain; the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza; the Turkish settlers in Cyprus; the Iraqi refugees in Jordan and the internally displaced Iraqis in the northern Iraq; and the Afghan refugees in Iran. These chapters have opened up areas of research which are important to pursue. They have examined displacement and the impact of generation and gender including the physical and mental stress of refugee situations. They have explored the phenomenon of repatriation and its various forms such as voluntary repatriation and involuntary repatriation such as the case of the Afghan and Iraqi refugees. The chapters also have discussed the Palestinian ‘right of return’ within the context of legal, emotional and cultural expressions. In addition to these, the crisis in identity in exile has been addressed to provide a better understanding of assimilation, integration and alienation. Policies have also been considered to understand the international refugee regime as well as national and regional interpretations. The chapters in this volume hope to prove to be significant contributions to the understanding of the plight of refugees and displaced people and the political and economic universe in which they must operate. Refugees are categories of people who have lost the protection of their government and who thrive at the margins of the global nation-state system. Their struggle to survive depends upon turning their exile or forced migration around; to regain the protection of a government and to become ‘citizens’ once again either in the original homeland or a new nation. It is a quest all should sympathize with and support.Less
The chapters presented in this volume have covered a wide range of case studies; the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria and Spain; the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza; the Turkish settlers in Cyprus; the Iraqi refugees in Jordan and the internally displaced Iraqis in the northern Iraq; and the Afghan refugees in Iran. These chapters have opened up areas of research which are important to pursue. They have examined displacement and the impact of generation and gender including the physical and mental stress of refugee situations. They have explored the phenomenon of repatriation and its various forms such as voluntary repatriation and involuntary repatriation such as the case of the Afghan and Iraqi refugees. The chapters also have discussed the Palestinian ‘right of return’ within the context of legal, emotional and cultural expressions. In addition to these, the crisis in identity in exile has been addressed to provide a better understanding of assimilation, integration and alienation. Policies have also been considered to understand the international refugee regime as well as national and regional interpretations. The chapters in this volume hope to prove to be significant contributions to the understanding of the plight of refugees and displaced people and the political and economic universe in which they must operate. Refugees are categories of people who have lost the protection of their government and who thrive at the margins of the global nation-state system. Their struggle to survive depends upon turning their exile or forced migration around; to regain the protection of a government and to become ‘citizens’ once again either in the original homeland or a new nation. It is a quest all should sympathize with and support.
Nicholas Morris*
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199267217
- eISBN:
- 9780191601118
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199267219.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Assesses the success of the two humanitarian interventions in the Balkans – Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1999 – from the perspective of humanitarian organizations. It argues how, ironically, the ...
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Assesses the success of the two humanitarian interventions in the Balkans – Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1999 – from the perspective of humanitarian organizations. It argues how, ironically, the effectiveness of organizations such as UNHCR can dissuade powerful states from taking the necessary steps to address the root causes of massive human rights violations. Slow and ambiguous action from the international community can raise false expectations on the part of suffering civilians, and embolden those who commit atrocities. The author argues that the political, military, and humanitarian strands of interventions are always closely interwoven, and draws a series of lessons from the Balkans experience: the need for the international community to act early, credibly, and consistently; the importance of preserving the identity of a humanitarian operation; the imperative to end the impunity of those who orchestrate and commit massive violations of human rights; and the importance of engaging the United Nations.Less
Assesses the success of the two humanitarian interventions in the Balkans – Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1999 – from the perspective of humanitarian organizations. It argues how, ironically, the effectiveness of organizations such as UNHCR can dissuade powerful states from taking the necessary steps to address the root causes of massive human rights violations. Slow and ambiguous action from the international community can raise false expectations on the part of suffering civilians, and embolden those who commit atrocities. The author argues that the political, military, and humanitarian strands of interventions are always closely interwoven, and draws a series of lessons from the Balkans experience: the need for the international community to act early, credibly, and consistently; the importance of preserving the identity of a humanitarian operation; the imperative to end the impunity of those who orchestrate and commit massive violations of human rights; and the importance of engaging the United Nations.
Richard Caplan
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199263455
- eISBN:
- 9780191602726
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199263450.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Examines the challenge of resettling refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and evaluates efforts to reverse ethnic cleansing and re-establish communities of mixed ethnicity. The ...
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Examines the challenge of resettling refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and evaluates efforts to reverse ethnic cleansing and re-establish communities of mixed ethnicity. The reintegration of refugees and IDPs requires the establishment of a secure environment that in turn requires not only effective policing but also the prosecution of war criminals; the establishment of the rule of law, including a legal framework that enables the restitution of property; and a commitment of economic resources to ensure that returnees have adequate jobs, education, health care, and social services. The challenge also raises normative issues, including whether the restoration of multi-ethnic societies is always a proper and fitting objective and how far efforts should extend to achieve that objective given the further hardships for the displaced that it may entail.Less
Examines the challenge of resettling refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and evaluates efforts to reverse ethnic cleansing and re-establish communities of mixed ethnicity. The reintegration of refugees and IDPs requires the establishment of a secure environment that in turn requires not only effective policing but also the prosecution of war criminals; the establishment of the rule of law, including a legal framework that enables the restitution of property; and a commitment of economic resources to ensure that returnees have adequate jobs, education, health care, and social services. The challenge also raises normative issues, including whether the restoration of multi-ethnic societies is always a proper and fitting objective and how far efforts should extend to achieve that objective given the further hardships for the displaced that it may entail.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
To prevent or mitigate refugee catastrophes, more effective international cooperation is needed in advance of crises. In this connection, new mechanisms are needed to marshal resources to promote the ...
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To prevent or mitigate refugee catastrophes, more effective international cooperation is needed in advance of crises. In this connection, new mechanisms are needed to marshal resources to promote the sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and successfully undertake post‐conflict recovery.Where prevention fails, more can be done to protect the displaced and help them find new homes. A greater degree of concerted action is needed among governments, international organizations, and NGOs in order to ensure the human security of the uprooted.Based on the experience of the last decade, institutional reform is a key determinant of effective cooperation. In particular, the author urges the consolidation of humanitarian functions within the U.N., and the creation of a single U.S. government Agency for Humanitarian Action, or AHA. As a first step in that direction, a proposal is made to establish Strategic Humanitarian Action and Research (SHARE), an operations‐oriented think tank designed to promote coherent responses and make humanitarian action more effective.Whether it is called humanitarian diplomacy or something else, a new form of statecraft is clearly needed in order to conduct effective humanitarian action in today's world. Success in this humanitarian management endeavour would surely mitigate the refugee problem and help us to avoid paying the high human, economic, political, and security costs –— the price of indifference.Less
To prevent or mitigate refugee catastrophes, more effective international cooperation is needed in advance of crises. In this connection, new mechanisms are needed to marshal resources to promote the sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and successfully undertake post‐conflict recovery.
Where prevention fails, more can be done to protect the displaced and help them find new homes. A greater degree of concerted action is needed among governments, international organizations, and NGOs in order to ensure the human security of the uprooted.
Based on the experience of the last decade, institutional reform is a key determinant of effective cooperation. In particular, the author urges the consolidation of humanitarian functions within the U.N., and the creation of a single U.S. government Agency for Humanitarian Action, or AHA. As a first step in that direction, a proposal is made to establish Strategic Humanitarian Action and Research (SHARE), an operations‐oriented think tank designed to promote coherent responses and make humanitarian action more effective.
Whether it is called humanitarian diplomacy or something else, a new form of statecraft is clearly needed in order to conduct effective humanitarian action in today's world. Success in this humanitarian management endeavour would surely mitigate the refugee problem and help us to avoid paying the high human, economic, political, and security costs –— the price of indifference.
Gil Loescher and James Milner
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199600458
- eISBN:
- 9780191723544
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199600458.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory, International Relations and Politics
Among the various categories of international migration, asylum and refugee protection is unique in its degree of formal institutionalization. It has its own international convention and a ...
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Among the various categories of international migration, asylum and refugee protection is unique in its degree of formal institutionalization. It has its own international convention and a specialized UN agency, UNHCR. This structure is complemented by regional agreements and human rights norms. However, although the refugee regime guarantees the protection of refugees who reach the territory of a state, it offers little normative guidance on states' obligations to support other states in hosting refugees. Given that most refugees are in the developing world, this creates a fundamental imbalance, which defines the politics of refugee protection. This chapter explains the politics and the limitations of the existing regime. It offers politically feasible suggestions for ways in which the regime and the work of UNHCR might be adapted to meet the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century.Less
Among the various categories of international migration, asylum and refugee protection is unique in its degree of formal institutionalization. It has its own international convention and a specialized UN agency, UNHCR. This structure is complemented by regional agreements and human rights norms. However, although the refugee regime guarantees the protection of refugees who reach the territory of a state, it offers little normative guidance on states' obligations to support other states in hosting refugees. Given that most refugees are in the developing world, this creates a fundamental imbalance, which defines the politics of refugee protection. This chapter explains the politics and the limitations of the existing regime. It offers politically feasible suggestions for ways in which the regime and the work of UNHCR might be adapted to meet the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century.
Elizabeth M. Bounds and Bobbi Patterson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195188356
- eISBN:
- 9780199785247
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195188356.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This essay examines the International Community School (ICS), a public charter school near Atlanta, Georgia, that brings refugee, immigrant, and local U.S. children together in one educational ...
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This essay examines the International Community School (ICS), a public charter school near Atlanta, Georgia, that brings refugee, immigrant, and local U.S. children together in one educational environment as a microcosmic global civic space in an emerging global civil society. It focuses on the local and particular instantiations of globalization, paying special attention to the role of religions.Less
This essay examines the International Community School (ICS), a public charter school near Atlanta, Georgia, that brings refugee, immigrant, and local U.S. children together in one educational environment as a microcosmic global civic space in an emerging global civil society. It focuses on the local and particular instantiations of globalization, paying special attention to the role of religions.
David Weissbrodt
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199547821
- eISBN:
- 9780191720086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547821.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration
This chapter begins with discussion of the definition of ‘refugee’ under the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It then discusses the rights of refugees, protections for ...
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This chapter begins with discussion of the definition of ‘refugee’ under the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It then discusses the rights of refugees, protections for refugees, refugee populations around the world, the plight of refugees, and the vulnerability of refugee women and girls.Less
This chapter begins with discussion of the definition of ‘refugee’ under the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It then discusses the rights of refugees, protections for refugees, refugee populations around the world, the plight of refugees, and the vulnerability of refugee women and girls.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
In the 1990s, new conflicts broke out, particularly in connection with the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as several ...
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In the 1990s, new conflicts broke out, particularly in connection with the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as several places in Africa. Initiatives were invented and re‐invented, and policy responses reverted to a largely reactive mode.Ethnic and internal conflicts, which produced displacement emerged as key features of the decade, and sorely tested the capacity of the international community to respond to crises of forced displacement. The so‐called ‘CNN effect”’ led to engagement as well as disengagement (Somalia) and the term ‘nation building’ came into vogue and then later became an epithet. At the outset of the twenty‐first century, refugee policy is driven by selective apathy and creeping trepidation.Less
In the 1990s, new conflicts broke out, particularly in connection with the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as several places in Africa. Initiatives were invented and re‐invented, and policy responses reverted to a largely reactive mode.
Ethnic and internal conflicts, which produced displacement emerged as key features of the decade, and sorely tested the capacity of the international community to respond to crises of forced displacement. The so‐called ‘CNN effect”’ led to engagement as well as disengagement (Somalia) and the term ‘nation building’ came into vogue and then later became an epithet. At the outset of the twenty‐first century, refugee policy is driven by selective apathy and creeping trepidation.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested ...
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The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested in the case of the former Yugoslavia over the past decade. While increasingly prevalent, ‘state building’ in connection with the return and reintegration of refugees resulted in uneven outcomes over the past decade. Despite the mixed outcomes, the international community is likely to resort to such approaches in the future. Recent experience, however, teaches that expectations relating to state building should be modest. But the UN system and other international organizations must strengthen their capacities to meet even modest expectations.Less
The delivery of humanitarian assistance in the midst of armed conflict, the creation of putative safe areas, and arrangements for temporary relocation and stays abroad were policy innovations tested in the case of the former Yugoslavia over the past decade. While increasingly prevalent, ‘state building’ in connection with the return and reintegration of refugees resulted in uneven outcomes over the past decade. Despite the mixed outcomes, the international community is likely to resort to such approaches in the future. Recent experience, however, teaches that expectations relating to state building should be modest. But the UN system and other international organizations must strengthen their capacities to meet even modest expectations.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
During the 1990s, modesty in expectations remained the leitmotif of international humanitarian operations in places like Cambodia, Haiti, and East Timor. In Cambodia, human rights violations littered ...
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During the 1990s, modesty in expectations remained the leitmotif of international humanitarian operations in places like Cambodia, Haiti, and East Timor. In Cambodia, human rights violations littered much of the recent past and remain a continuing problem. Following Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, a 1995 lessons‐learned report noted that there is no US government doctrine integrating the military component of a complex humanitarian operation with the civilian agencies responsible for recovery. As for East Timor, while quite limited as a policy precedent, it will probably be considered the paradigmatic test case for international state building.Refugee policy needs to be more proactive, and a greater degree of international cooperation and a preventive orientation should animate humanitarian responses.Less
During the 1990s, modesty in expectations remained the leitmotif of international humanitarian operations in places like Cambodia, Haiti, and East Timor. In Cambodia, human rights violations littered much of the recent past and remain a continuing problem. Following Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, a 1995 lessons‐learned report noted that there is no US government doctrine integrating the military component of a complex humanitarian operation with the civilian agencies responsible for recovery. As for East Timor, while quite limited as a policy precedent, it will probably be considered the paradigmatic test case for international state building.
Refugee policy needs to be more proactive, and a greater degree of international cooperation and a preventive orientation should animate humanitarian responses.
Arthur C. Helton
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250318
- eISBN:
- 9780191599477
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250316.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Several broad trends provide the context for current refugee policy responses. The debate over national sovereignty and humanitarian intervention, while not new, reached a crescendo over the past ...
More
Several broad trends provide the context for current refugee policy responses. The debate over national sovereignty and humanitarian intervention, while not new, reached a crescendo over the past decade as refugees and population movements more generally necessarily diminished the exclusive prerogative of state sovereignty relating to border control in the modern world. Europe is a fertile setting for the development of regional capacities that can blend military and civilian responses to humanitarian crises, both within and outside Europe, including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Yet, the difficulty of protecting and assisting internally displaced persons, continues to raise basic questions about the competence of the international system and the implementation mechanisms for human rights and humanitarian law. International migration provides the broad context for the evolution of refugee policy.Less
Several broad trends provide the context for current refugee policy responses. The debate over national sovereignty and humanitarian intervention, while not new, reached a crescendo over the past decade as refugees and population movements more generally necessarily diminished the exclusive prerogative of state sovereignty relating to border control in the modern world. Europe is a fertile setting for the development of regional capacities that can blend military and civilian responses to humanitarian crises, both within and outside Europe, including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Yet, the difficulty of protecting and assisting internally displaced persons, continues to raise basic questions about the competence of the international system and the implementation mechanisms for human rights and humanitarian law. International migration provides the broad context for the evolution of refugee policy.
