ABSTRACT
Theis chapter examines conditions and developments of refugee representation in international fora, especially within UNHCR. While some first endeavors for refugee representation took place already during the Global Consultations in 2001, the processes around the 2016 New York Declaration and the subsequent negotiation of the Global Compact on Refugees were pioneering in that regard. Documents referencing the inclusion of refugees in the policy decisions as well as the surrounding debate reflect the recognition of refugee representation as an important demand. The chapter describes how apart from those occasional events, interpretative and policy documents are developed in the framework of the UNHCR and how civil society organizations but also refugees may participate in those processes. It situates the claim for refugee participation in that connection, revisiting the concept of political representation and building on the Arendtian distinction of interest and opinion as two factors in the political process.
