UNHCR and Australia sign new partnership agreement

CANBERRA, Australia - UNHCR’s relationship with the Australian Government moved to a new level with the signing of a partnership agreement that will see Australia providing the agency with more predictable, life-saving financial support.

The High Commissioner and the Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr signed the four-year agreement in Geneva on Friday, 21 September 2012. The partnership will provide core funding to UNHCR over four years (2013-2016), helping the Agency to provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable people in crisis.

The High Commissioner said UNHCR welcomed the flexible and guaranteed multi-year funding being provided by Australia.

“It is vital that UNHCR has flexible and predictable funding so that we can respond to new and emerging crises as well as continue our support for the millions of people living in protracted displacement, often well out of the international spotlight,” he said.

The multi-year partnership will help Australia to meet the objectives of its Humanitarian Action Policy, promote efficiency and establish an annual dialogue on issues of priority, while UNHCR benefits from a guaranteed level of funding that will enable it to deploy people and resources in a timely and coordinated manner.

UNHCR’s role in protecting the lives and dignity of people in crisis was recognized with a ranking as one of the top performing multilateral agencies in the 2012 Australian Multilateral Assessment, showing that it achieves results.

Since 2006, Australia has provided more than AUD 230 million in funding to UNHCR. This has been central in supporting the agency to respond to the needs of millions of refugees during crises in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

“UNHCR is pleased to remain a key humanitarian partner for the Australian aid program, and the partnership agreement signed this week will help us to continue our work in delivering life-saving assistance to more than 35.4 million refugees, internally displaced people and others around the world, as well as advocating for their rights and protection,” the High Commissioner said.