United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR)
Under Secretary General: Zehra Yıldırım
Academic Assistant: Delfin Soykan
Agenda Item:
Moving from Aid Dependency to Self-Reliance: Enhancing the Right to Work and Access to National Justice Systems for Urban Refugee Populations
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established in 1950, operates under a global mandate to safeguard the rights of displaced persons and ensure their access to durable solutions. As the humanitarian landscape shifts, this committee must address the critical transition from protracted aid dependency to sustainable self-reliance for urban refugee populations, who now constitute the majority of the world's displaced. This agenda focuses on dismantling the structural barriers that hinder refugee agency, specifically by advocating for the right to work and the inclusion of refugees within national justice systems. By facilitating formal economic participation and ensuring legal protection against exploitation, delegates are tasked with formulating a framework that empowers refugees to become self-sufficient contributors to their host communities, thereby aligning humanitarian protection with long-term national development.