ABSTRACT
UNHCR’s core mandate has not changed since 1950. The protection of refugees and the search for solutions to their problems have remained our central objectives. But the environment in which we work has changed significantly—particularly in the past decade. During the latter half of the 20th century UN Agencies, NGOs, and other humanitarian actors relied on an often tacit and unspoken agreement between all groups involved in a conflict to respect their neutrality. Humanitarian actors would be “impartial” in the delivery of assistance and were therefore perceived as “neutral.” Parties would respect and consent to humanitarian action. This situation began to deteriorate with the eruption of a series of long-simmering ethnic, religious, and other conflicts, often within States rather than between States.
