The document is the 2008-2009 Global Appeal from the UNHCR which outlines the organization's operational plans and strategies for assisting refugees over the next two years. It highlights the challenges of protecting and finding durable solutions for close to 33 million displaced people around the world. The Appeal is aimed at governmental and private donors to bring awareness to the plight of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons. It describes UNHCR's partnerships with other organizations and reforms to inter-agency collaboration. The Appeal provides information on operations through regional summaries and country-specific chapters in order to request early and predictable funding to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian assistance.

1. The Global Appeal 2008-2009
Introduction The Appeal highlights UNHCR’s partnerships with
NGOs, other UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent
Movement, intergovernmental organizations such as
The aim of the Global Appeal is to alert governmental
IOM, donors and host governments. UNHCR recognizes
and private sectors donors, as well as other
their important contributions towards the realization of
organizations and individuals to the plight of millions of
its mandate. The Appeal also describes efforts underway
refugees and others of concern to UNHCR. It is available
to support UN reform initiatives, in particular
to all those interested in the mission and mandate of
inter-agency collaboration and the cluster approach for
UNHCR: Executive Committee (ExCom) members and
addressing the challenges of internal displacement.
Standing Committee observers, Governments and their
missions in Geneva, the UN Secretariat, UN and
All information related to operations has been included
intergovernmental agencies, NGOs, regional
on a CD-ROM. Part II of the printed version includes five
organizations and concerned individuals.
chapters that summarize UNHCR’s strategies, objectives
and operational plans in the respective regions where
In line with UNHCR’s move to a biennial budget cycle,
the Office works. The CD-ROM includes 17 subregional
the Appeal outlines strategies and programmes in both
overviews and 34 country or situational chapters, as
2008 and 2009. At its formal launch at UNHCR’s
well as chapters covering headquarters and global
annual pledging conference in Geneva in December
programmes.
2007, donors will be able to indicate their funding
priorities and announce contributions towards protecting
In order to keep the document to a manageable length,
and assisting the world's displaced people. Since
only those operations with an annual budget of
UNHCR depends almost exclusively on voluntary
USD 5 million or more are presented in separate
contributions, it needs early, flexible and predictable
chapters. As in previous years, other operations are
funding to ensure uninterrupted operations.
described in their respective subregional overviews.
More detailed information on UNHCR’s policies and
Structure operations, ExCom documents, news stories and
publications can be found on UNHCR’s website,
www.unhcr.org.
The 2008-2009 Global Appeal
retains almost the same structure as
the Global Appeal for 2007. It
provides an overview of UNHCR’s
operational plans for the next two
years, as well as information on
areas of operation and staffing
levels. The Appeal highlights the
challenges the Office will face as it
tries to protect, assist and find
durable solutions for close to
33 million people – refugees,
asylum-seekers, stateless people
and the internally displaced. Specific
chapters cover main themes for the
Office, such as international
protection, policy priorities, durable
solutions, internally displaced
UNHCR/N. Rost
persons, statelessness and
emergency response. The last two
chapters of Part I describe the
Office’s cooperation with other One of UNHCR's key challenges in 2008 and 2009 will be to ease the plight of displaced
actors, as well as the way it plans people in Sudan and surrounding countries.
and funds its programmes.
UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 9