Article 14 Universal Declaration for Human Rights

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in December 1950 to provide international protection to refugees of the Second World War. By the late 1950s, its duties were extended to cover internationally displaced persons and victims of national disasters.

Today, the UNHCR secures protection for refugees by upholding their human rights and ensuring they are not returned to a country where they might be in danger of persecution.  The UNHCR also assists the resettlement of refugees through integration in countries of asylum or by means of voluntary repatriation to a third country.

The UNHCR has been active in Egypt since 1954 when it established a Regional Office in Cairo. Currently many activities are being undertaken with an ever increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers. United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) are a vital part of Cairo’s UNHCR Regional Office carrying out many important tasks such as registration, documentation, and refugee status determination