ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact that social advocacy and civic dissonance have on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and ultimately on the policies employed by refugee receiving states. It considers the critical role of regional civil society and non-governmental organizations, ad hoc associations and grass-roots movements on the UNHCR's execution of its mandate. The chapter analyzes the impact of advocacy efforts on the expansion of grounds for refugee protection, namely the grounds of persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. As early as 1979, the UNHCR began to issue interpretive aids such as a Handbook and a series of Guidelines along with legal position papers on the determination of refugee status for specific populations. Despite the socio-legal authority and political legitimacy that is conferred onto the UNHCR and its state partners, independent actors, which collectively form advocacy networks, have a tremendous impact on the regional and global refugee protection regime.
