About Filippo Grandi

• He has worked in international affairs for over 30 years as a Italian diplomat, of which 27 years he spent with the United Nations.
• He started his career in the office of UNHCR in 1988 and had represented UN in refugee and political affairs in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
• He also had served as head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
• He had worked prior to that for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as Deputy Special Representative.

About United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

• UNHCR works worldwide to protect, assist and find solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless populations.
• It has some 9,700 staff across 126 countries, many of them working in humanitarian emergencies and in close proximity to regions of conflict.
• In June 2015 it reported that worldwide forced displacement had reached a new post-World War II high of 59.5 million people.
• Displacement levels have continued to rise since, most visibly with the situation of more than one million refugees and migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe during 2015.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been chosen for the prestigious 2015 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

• Immense contributions in assisting millions of refugees in their rehabilitation and resettlement.
• For working under difficult circumstances to bring about changes in order to reduce the flow of refugees.

About United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

• UNHCR is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
• Established: December 14, 1950.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Initially it was established to help people displaced by World War II. But later it became the principal agency that has helped displaced persons all over world.
• Mission: Safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Seek lasting solutions to the plights of refugees.
• Awards: It has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, first in 1954 and second in 1981.

About Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development

• Since 1986, the prestigious award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Trust.
• Awarded to: Individuals or organizations in recognition of their creative efforts towards promoting international peace, development.
• It is also bestowed upon them for creating new international economic order and ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity and enlarging the scope of freedom.
• Award carries: The prize consists of monetary award of 25 lakh and a citation.
• Some of the awardees: UNICEF (1989), Rajiv Gandhi (1991), M S Swaminathan (1999), Kofi Annan (2003), Angel Merkel (2013) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) (2014) .

Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi has won the 2015 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Nansen Refugee Award.

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, once in 1954 and again in 1981.
• Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland and is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
• Award carries: Commemorative medal and monetary prize of 100,000 US dollars. The laureate uses the monetary prize to fund a project that complements their existing work.