What does the UNHCR office Canberra do?
In the Canberra, the Regional Office for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific provides legal, resettlement and information services: The Legal Protection Unit liaises with governments in the region on refugee and asylum policy. It provides training for officials working with refugees and advises authorities on best international standards in respect to legislation, policy and procedures. UNHCR also monitors the application of the Refugee Convention in the region and intervenes in individual cases when they raise important issues of principle, which set standards for the wider protection of refugees. The Resettlement section works closely with the Australian and New Zealand immigration authorities on the composition of their quotas for resettled refugees and assists in the submission of individual cases. The Public Information Unit raises awareness about UNHCR’s work and refugee issues amongst parliamentarians, schools, the media and the general public. It is t
