United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. UNHCR was established on January 1, 1951 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and 1981.

The post of High Commissioner has been held by:

• Ruud Lubbers, January 1, 2001 - to present
• Sadako Ogata[?], 1990 - 2000
• Thorvald Stoltenberg, Jan-Nov 1990
• Jean-Pierre Hocké[?], 1986 - 1989
• Poul Hartling[?], 1978 - 1985
• Sadruddin Aga Khan, 1965 - 1977
• Félix Schnyder[?], 1960 - 1965
• Auguste R. Lindt[?], 1956-1960
• Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart[?], 1951 - 1956