Special edition: Defending human rights

Every day, people are forced to flee their homes due to war, violence and persecution, often leaving everything they know, in search of safety. Yet, no matter how much they’ve left behind, they always retain their human rights.

Today, on International Human Rights Day, we highlight the right to seek asylum as a crucial safeguard, ensuring that millions of displaced people worldwide can find hope away from home.

Welcome to “Humanitarians at Work,” UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s biweekly newsletter. Here, we share motivations, challenges, and advice from staff working in the humanitarian sector. If you would like an exclusive sneak peek into the lives of humanitarian workers and tips on how to enter the sector, please subscribe.

In this special edition, we spotlight Kelleen Corrigan, a Senior Legal Officer and Head of the Human Rights Liaison Unit, who is committed to defending and promoting the rights of refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless persons.

I’ve always been drawn to addressing injustice and amplifying the voices of those who are often unheard. Initially, I wanted to be a foreign journalist, so I studied international relations and communication. But during a year volunteering with an organization supporting human rights defenders, I saw how using legal engagement and advocacy could make a real difference. That inspired me to attend law school.

After graduating, I worked in legal representation for migrants and refugees in the USA, my home country, before joining UNHCR. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside colleagues and partners in many contexts worldwide, engaging with forcibly displaced and stateless communities to improve their access to protection and solutions.

Every day is different, which keeps my job interesting. During Human Rights Council sessions, I might attend meetings at the Palais des Nations or connect with non-governmental organisations. On other days, I may meet with colleagues at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or the human rights experts who are members of the Platform of Independent Experts on Refugee Rights. Or I may provide a briefing to a treaty monitoring body like the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Sometimes, I travel to support colleagues with specific human rights challenges. My job is incredibly varied, and that’s part of what I love about it.

Rights, advocacy and collaboration.

Finding ways to best utilize our limited resources in a challenging context involves constantly prioritizing and considering strategic opportunities for human rights engagement.?

In addition, human rights work often involves long-term strategies, which means progress can feel slow. It’s not just about responding to immediate needs; it’s about addressing structural issues.

All of this work requires constant engagement and collaboration with many other stakeholders, including forcibly displaced and stateless people themselves, to make sure their needs are recognized and acted upon.

The right to seek and enjoy asylum is a human right, enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and given binding effect in the 1951 Refugee Convention. Promoting and safeguarding the rights of refugees is at the core of UNHCR’s mission and is within our institutional DNA.

Be open-minded, curious, and flexible. There are many ways that someone could have a career in human rights. At UNHCR, colleagues can be engaged in human rights regardless of their function or career path in the organization. We all have the opportunity to promote human rights, no matter what our daily job may entail.?

Check out these resources:?

1. UNHCR Compilation of Good Practices on Engaging with Human Rights Systems 2. Guidance on UNHCR’s Engagement with National Human Rights Institutions?? 3. https://www.unhcr.org/media/unhcr-guidance-racism-and-xenophobia

Being reminded that many of us are working together to improve the situation for people whose rights are under threat really helps to motivate me. It’s important to remember that the forcibly displaced and stateless people are the reason we do this work. And while there are many challenges, I hope that? my efforts can play at least some small role in helping to improve access to their rights.

If you lost everything, what would give you hope?

123 million people displaced by war, violence and persecution. This is one story of courage and hope.?

Globally, 3 in 4 people support the human right to seek safety from war, violence and persecution. In a world where millions of people are displaced, this solidarity matters.??

The Hope Away from Home campaign is calling for ongoing solidarity to protect and defend the rights of all refugees, without discrimination.?

?? Your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below what surprised you the most about Kelleen’s role as a Senior Legal Officer or send through any questions about her work.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. Together with over 20,000 staff working around the world, we strive for a world where every person forced to flee can build a better future.

??Stay inspired by stories like Kelleen’s and join us in our mission to make a difference by subscribing.

See you in your inbox soon,

Shardae Yilma (UNHCR Social Media Team)