UNHCR and protection and assistance for the victims of climate change

Fornale, Elisa; Doebbler, Curtis F J (2017). UNHCR and protection and assistance for the victims of climate change. The Geographical Journal, 183(4), pp. 329-335. Wiley 10.1111/geoj.12193

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This contribution argues that despite the fact that the United Nations Refugee Convention does not cover persons subject to climate change induced displacement, these people should be protected by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This is the case because UNHCR's own Executive Committee has incorporated the broader African definition of a refugee that does include climate refugees into their protection mandate. We therefore conclude that UNHCR should exercise protection activities over climate refugees to be consistent with the mandate given to this United Nations programme by international law. To arrive at this conclusion we first briefly introduce the question about the protection of climate change induced displacement in the social science debate. We examine the legal definitions of refugees, agreeing with the most common interpretations of both United Nations and regional instruments. We then indicate how, by expressly extending its mandate, UNHCR itself has taken on the responsibility for the protection of people subject to climate change induced displacement. Finally, we report how, despite this mandate, UNHCR is still refusing to exercise its mandate properly, and that if it were to do so, a significant step could be taken in ensuring the protection of people subject to climate change induced displacement.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Further Contribution)

Division/Institute:

02 Faculty of Law > Department of Economic Law > World Trade Institute
10 Strategic Research Centers > World Trade Institute

UniBE Contributor:

Fornale, Elisa

Subjects:

300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 340 Law
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 380 Commerce, communications & transportation

ISSN:

1475-4959

Publisher:

Wiley

Language:

English

Submitter:

Pablo Rahul Das

Date Deposited:

21 Nov 2017 13:46

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:08

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/geoj.12193

Related URLs:

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.107159

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/107159

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