UN High Commissioner for Refugees gives only Australian public address at Melbourne Law School

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi today gave a public address at Melbourne Law School on the challenges of protecting displaced people globally.

This was the first visit to Australia by a High Commissioner from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) since 2012 and Mr Grandi’s only public address while in Australia.

The event, hosted by the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness and Melbourne School of Government, was chaired by Professor Michelle Foster, Director, Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness and moderated by Erika Feller AO, Chair, Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness Advisory Board and Professorial Fellow at Melbourne School of Government.

Speaking at the event, Mr Grandi said that while Australia is “a dynamic UN member state, an active bilateral and multilateral partner and a generous donor to United Nations organisations”, being part of the international community also means “upholding international law and responsibilities”.

“In recent years we have had some tough conversations with the government of Australia on its domestic refugee policies, especially the practice of exiling those who came by boat … placing them in open-ended detention and putting their lives literally in limbo,” Mr Grandi said. “These policies have carried immense human and financial costs. They have caused anguish and suffering.”

However, Mr Grandi commended the current Australian government for finding “a better balance between its obligations and its concerns”, and for increasing its commitment to important refugee protection programs such as resettlement.

Mr Grandi said “Australians across the political spectrum and from all sections of society are being remarkably generous towards refugees, donating funds, doing volunteer work, holding out a helping hand”, but noted people must not forget “it is states that have the ultimate responsibility to address the root causes driving people from their homes”.

Professor Foster said: “We were honoured to host the High Commissioner and share in this rare opportunity to hear him speak on displacement, protection and statelessness.

“The High Commissioner’s visit represents an important opportunity to reflect on the critical human rights issues facing refugees and stateless persons in Australia, regionally and globally, and the urgency and importance of addressing global displacement.”

As the 11th UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Grandi heads one of the world’s largest humanitarian organisations with 18,000 staff working across 135 countries providing protection and assistance to over 103 million refugees, returnees, internally displaced people, and stateless people.

Established in 2018, the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness is the world's only academic research centre dedicated to understanding and responding to statelessness, while Melbourne School of Government works to equip governments, businesses, social partners, and individuals to meet the challenges of contemporary governance.

The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness also works to directly address and resolve statelessness in Australia, through its Stateless Legal Clinic. The Stateless Legal Clinic partners with the Refugee Advice Casework Service and the Melbourne Law School Clinics to provide critical legal assistance to stateless children in their application for Australian citizenship. It is the only legal clinic of its kind in Australia, and one of a few globally.