Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The International Refugee Organisation (IRO) was a non-permanent specialised agency of the United Nations. It came into being on 20 Aug 1948. Its functions were previously carried out by a Preparatory Commission (PCIRO), which assumed on 1 Jul 1947 functions formerly exercised by its predecessor organisations: The League of Nations; the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees; the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the allied armies.
The IRO was concerned principally with the repatriation and resettlement of refugees. It also provided for the care and maintenance of refugees in Displaced Persons camps. The objective was to offer sufficient maintenance and care to prevent serious physical and psychological deterioration. In addition it gave legal and political protection, a function normally performed by consulates on behalf of their governments.