The Rise and Decline of a Global Security Actor: UNHCR, Refugee Protection and Security

369 Pages·2014·1.87 MB·English

by  Anne Hammerstad

The rise and decline of a global
securiTy acTor

The rise and
decline of a global
security actor
UNHCR, Refugee Protection, and Security
anne h ammersTad
1
1
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To Adam

Acknowledgments
This book is the fruition of a research interest in unhcr and the politics of
displacement that has spanned more than a decade. There are many, both indi-
viduals and institutions, i would like to thank for their help, support, advice
and critical comments.
While unhcr has had no formal input into the contents of this book,
many of its staff members, from junior field staff to senior management, have
been generous with their time, experiences and insights during two rounds of
interviews at the agency’s geneva headquarters. The first round took place in
the winter of 2000–01, just as sadako ogata was making her farewells as high
commissioner and unhcr was entering a period of downsizing and uncer-
tainty. The second round was in the spring of 2008, when high commissioner
antonio guterres had contributed to a new sense of purpose and identity to
the agency’s handling of the fraught and violent fall-out from us-led inva-
sions in afghanistan and iraq. Jeff crisp, long-standing head of unhcr’s
evaluation and policy analysis unit before his move in 2013 to become senior
director at refugees international, needs particular mention for sharing from
his well of experience and for his critical, but always friendly and constructive
exchange of ideas. i also would like to mention the generous help from former
assistant high commissioner søren Jessen-petersen, who opened doors and
made available information for the research of this book. among the former
and current unhcr staff members who helped, mark cutts, filippo grandi,
andrew harper, nicholas morris, Jean-françois durieux, arafat Jamal,
stephane Jaquemet, irene Khan, Janet lim, radhouane nouicer, Jose riera,
nicky Tennant, Volker Turk and neill Wright should have special mention.
some interviewees preferred to be anonymous, but i would nevertheless like
to express my gratitude to them for the interviews and exchanges of opinion
they contributed.
i have received invaluable financial and institutional help for the writing of
this book. interviews and research at unhcr’s geneva headquarters in the
winter of 1999–2000 were made possible by a bursary from europaeum, while
a grant from the british academy enabled me to conduct a second round of
interviews in geneva in the spring of 2008. a global uncertainties fellowship
from the esrc, from 2009 to 2012, awarded ample resources, as well as the
time to think and write, which were necessary to complete the book. Kristian
berg harpviken and halvard buhaug at the peace research institute in oslo
generously offered the use of prio’s offices and resources, accompanied by
viii Acknowledgments
stimulating discussions with prio colleagues, in the summer of 2012. elizabeth
sidiropoulos and the south african institute of international affairs have pro-
vided opportunities, facilities and resources in the inspiring atmosphere at Jan
smuts house in Johannesburg on many occasions. oxford university press
and editor dominic byatt have been patient and supportive throughout the
research and writing of this book.
i would particularly like to extend my warmest thanks to colleagues who
commented on the manuscript at its various stages of completion. in partic-
ular: ruth blakeley, dominic byatt, andy hurrell, gil loescher and adam
roberts for responding to and advising on versions of outlines and chapters
at various stages of the project, and matthew gibney for doing the same in
addition to being a pillar of support and an academic mentor and role model.
alex betts, nick bisley, mark beeson and gil loescher provided opportuni-
ties for me to develop analytical themes in seminar series and edited books.
mats berdal and steven haines could always be counted on for advice, recom-
mendations, encouragement and support. Thank you to hugh miall, richard
sakwa and richard Whitman in the school of politics and ir at the university
of Kent for the same, and to my other Kent colleagues for providing a dynamic
and collegial research environment.
finally, my thanks and love go to my husband, ‘the other’ adam roberts, for
being my strongest supporter and best critic. needless to say, despite all this
help and support, i take full responsibility for the final product.
Contents
1. introduction: The rise and decline of a global security actor 1
Part One: Displacement and security 17
2. from explaining to constructing security: a conceptual
analysis 19
3. Victims or Threats? placing displacement on Three security
agendas 40
Part Two: An intellectual history of UNHCR 65
4. institutional and international developments 69
5. The 1950s to 1970s: Timidity and restraint in unhcr’s
discourse 93
6. The 1980s: a political Turn 112
7. The 1990s: adopting and adapting a security discourse 129
8. The 2000s and beyond: return of a protection discourse 151
Part Three: An actor or re-actor in international
refugee politics? 175
9. unhcr’s rise as a global security actor: northern
iraq, 1991 179
10. a humanitarian star: lead agency in bosnia, 1991–95 192
11. protection disaster in eastern Zaire, 1994–96 213
12. how success became failure: The Kosovo crisis, 1998–99 229
13. challenges of protection after 9/11 250
14. repatriating afghan refugees 271