UNHCR as coordinator and convener – Evaluation synthesis series

Convening authority is strongest in the first phase of a refugee emergency, where the UNHCR mandate is uncontested. Performance declines once that phase ends or a second coordination framework enters the same space, because UNHCR is at once coordinator, operational actor and funder. The evaluations identify the conditions for effective coordination: dedicated capacity, separation from operational interests, early government engagement and early transition planning.