Réseau universitaire international de Genève
Geneva International Academic Network

Français | English
Homepage > Research > Projects > Description

UNHCR and the Global Cold War, 1971-1984

Annual Call for Projects 2006

Summary

Created in 1950 to solve the problem of European refugees in the wake of World War II, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has subsequently grown to become a global operation that currently addresses the needs of over 19 million people. Beginning in the 1970’s, UNHCR experienced a sudden expansion in its role in the developing world, where large-scale humanitarian crises set in motion an evolution of norms and standard setting with regard to refugee law and exposed the organisation to new challenges. In particular, the organisation was charged with the management of sudden mass refugee influxes, the construction of extensive refugee camps, the procurement and distribution of food and basic relief supplies on a scale previously unimagined, and the carrying out of its humanitarian mandate in a highly politicised climate shaped by East – West tension.

This collaborative, multidisciplinary project supported by the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN) will examine the records of UNHCR field and headquarters operations during this crucial period and will result in the creation of an online archival database and the publication of original, policy relevant findings. With three closely related components – archival processing to open up previously closed records, original research/analysis, and dissemination – this project will promote cooperation between the academic community and UNHCR in order to contribute to understanding the successes and failures of the international response to the humanitarian crises of the late 20th century and to the important trends that emerged during this period.

The records addressed by this project and awaiting declassification and archival processing consist of 222 linear meters of paper documents covering the period 1971-1984. The processing of these documents will preserve their physical state and enable scholars and policymakers to access this crucial resource on late 20th century refugee crises.

The research and analysis component of the project will focus on the nature...

The grant provided by the GIAN for this project totals SFr 220,000

> See longer summary

Project Team

Ms Anna Julia Begemann , Associated Member, Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS) .

Ms Eileen Galang , Associated Member, Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS) .

Ms Leah Malabonga , Associated Member, Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS) .

Ms Carla Helena Traub , Associated Member, Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS) .

Ms Nadia Yeddes , Associated Member, Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS) .

Related Links

> UNHCR Archives

> GIIS, UNHCR Project

Related News

Related Conferences

The UNHCR and the Global Cold War, 1971-1984 - Public Conference, HEI, ch. de la Voie-Creuse 16, 19 October 2007, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
The project "UNHCR and the Global Cold War" supported by the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN) has examined...
> more

Research Output

The UNHCR and the Cold War: A Documented Reflection on the UNHCR's Activities in the Bipolar Context
(available in English only)
> more
UNHCR and the Global Cold War: Article Published in the "Transatlantic Studies Association Newsletter"
(available in English only)
> more