The Global Compact for Refugees describes UNHCR as its ‘supportive and catalytic’ leader. The ability for UNHCR to negotiate and collaborate within a highly political environment is critical to the Refugee Compact’s ongoing success. However, the Refugee Compact is non-binding, which means that there is no call for UNHCR to exercise its supervisory mandate. By removing the impetus for enforcement, which includes submissions to courts and parliaments, and State admonishment, the Refugee Compact diminishes the non-political elements of UNHCR’s work. The consequence of sidelining UNHCR’s supervisory mandate is that State interests are elevated above those of refugees, which risks diluting principles of international law and human rights. Entrenched problems of voluntary funding are ignored, and whilst robust conversations may flourish within this forum, realizable outcomes will be undermined by ‘endless conversations’ and positive optics. UNHCR’s moral authority, which stems from its embodiment of the protector of refugees, will not act as a motivation for State action. A reconsideration of UNHCR’s role is required in order to allow UNHCR to refocus on its supervisory mandate and to ensure the Refugee Compact can strike a balance between being “entirely non‐political in nature” and the reality of international cooperation, which is inherently political.

中文翻译：

---

一个“支持和催化”的主管？难民署在全球难民契约中的作用

全球难民契约将难民署描述为其“支持和催化”的领导者。难民署在高度政治化的环境中进行谈判和合作的能力对于难民契约的持续成功至关重要。然而，难民契约不具有约束力，这意味着不需要难民署行使监督任务。通过消除强制执行的动力，包括提交给法院和议会以及国家警告，难民契约减少了难民署工作中的非政治因素。将难民署的监督任务搁置一旁的后果是，国家利益高于难民的利益，这可能会削弱国际法和人权原则。自愿资助的根深蒂固的问题被忽视，虽然本论坛内可能会出现激烈的对话，但可实现的结果将被“无休止的对话”和积极的观点所破坏。难民署的道德权威源于其难民保护者的体现，不会成为国家行动的动力。需要重新考虑难民署的作用，以便难民署重新关注其监督任务，并确保难民契约能够在“完全非政治性”和国际合作的现实之间取得平衡，而国际合作本质上是政治性的。