This is a non-exhaustive list of various acronyms that the United Nations use in its various missions and resolutions. If a fellow delegate uses an acronym during a conference and you do not know it, then it may well be somewhere on this list!
A[]
- AALCO Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation
- ACCORD Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation
- ACLU American Civil Liberties Union
- ADB Asian Development Bank
- AfDB African Development Bank
- AfP Agenda for Protection
- AFP Agence France-Presse
- AGDM Age, Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming
- AHC-O Assistant High Commissioner for Operations
- AHC-P Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
- AHI Avian and Human Influenza
- AI Amnesty International
- AOR Area of Responsibility
- AP Associated Press
- APCI Advisory Panel on Country of Origin Information (UK)
- APR Annual Protection Report
- ARC Action for the Rights of Children
- ASR Annual Statistical Report
- ATCs Annual Tripartite Consultations
- AU African Union
B[]
- BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
- BID Best Interests Determination (of the child)
- BO Branch Office
C[]
- CA Civil Affairs
- CAP Consolidated Appeal Process
- CAT Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (United Nations)
- CBA Community-based approach
- CCA Common Country Assessment
- CDD Community-driven development
- CDF Comprehensive Development Framework
- CEDAW Committee/Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (United Nations) )
- CERD Committee/Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (United Nations)
- CERF Central Emergency Response Fund
- CESCR Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (United Nations)
- CHR Commission on Human Rights (United Nations)
- CIMIC Civil Military Cooperation
- CIREA Centre for Informal Discussions and Exchange on Asylum
- CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
- CMA Civil Military Affairs
- CNN Cable News Network
- CO Commanding Officer
- CoE Council of Europe
- COI Country of Origin Information
- COP Country Operations Plan
- CPA Comprehensive Plan of Action
- CPJ Committee for the Protection of Journalists
- CPR Conflict Prevention and Post-Conflict Reconstruction Network
- CRC Committee/Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations)
- CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies
- CTD Convention Travel Document
D[]
- DAC Development Assistance Committee (United Nations)
- DAR Development Assistance for Refugees
- DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programme
- DFID Department for International Development (UK)
- DHRM Division of Human Resources Management
- DIPS Division of International Protection Services (UNHCR)
- DLI Development through Local Integration
- DOS Department of Operations (UNHCR)
- DPKO Department of Peacekeeping Operations (United Nations)
- DPRE Displaced Persons Refugees Evacuees
- DRRM Donor Relations & Resource Mobilization Service (UNHCR)
E[]
- EC European Commission
- ECHO European Commission Humanitarian Office
- ECOSOC Economic and Social Council (United Nations)
- ECRE European Council on Refugees and Exiles
- EDF European Development Fund
- EIU Economist Intelligence Unit
- ELENA European Legal Network on Asylum
- ERC Emergency Relief Coordinator (United Nations)
- ERF European Refugee Fund
- EU European Union
- Eurasil European Network for Asylum Practitioners of the European Commission
- EVAC Evacuation
- EVI Extremely Vulnerable Individual
- EW Early Warning
- EW Electronic warfare
- ExCom Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme (UNHCR)
F[]
- FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
- FAQs Frequently asked questions
- FDP Formerly deported person (CIS countries)
- FIDH International Federation for Human Rights
- FO Field Office
G[]
- GA General Assembly (United Nations)
- GCIM Global Commission on International Migration
- GDP Gross Domestic Product
- GIST Geographic Information Support Teams
- GMG Global Migration Group
H[]
- HC High Commissioner (UNHCR)
- HC Humanitarian Coordinator (United Nations)
- HDI Human Development Index
- HE Humanitarian Evacuation
- HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- HLD High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development
- HRC Human Rights Committee/Council
- HRO/HUMRO Humanitarian Relief Operations
- HRW Human Rights Watch
I[]
- IARLJ International Association of Refugee Law Judges
- IASC Inter-Agency Standing Committee (on humanitarian assistance) (United Nations)
- IC Individual case
- ICC International Criminal Court
- ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- ICG International Crisis Group
- ICMC International Catholic Migration Commission
- ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
- ICTR International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- ICTY International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
- ICVA International Council of Voluntary Agencies
- IDMC Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- IDPs Internally Displaced Persons
- IFA Internal Flight Alternative
- IFJ International Federation of Journalists
- IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development
- IGC-COI Inter-Governmental Consultations Working Group on COI
- IGO Inspector-General’s Office (UNHCR)
- IGO Inter-Governmental Organization
- IJRL International Journal of Refugee Law
- ILC International Law Commission
- ILO International Labour Organization
- IMF International Monetary Fund
- IMO International Maritime Organization
- IOM International Organization for Migration
- IPR International Professional Roster
- IPs Implementing Partners
- IRA Internal Relocation Alternative
- IRB Immigration and Refugee Board (Canada)
- IRC International Rescue Committee
- IRIN Integrated Regional Information Networks (United Nations)
- IRPs Involuntarily Relocated Persons
- IWPR Institute for War and Peace Reporting
J[]
- JAM Joint Assessment Mission
- JPO Junior Professional Officer
L[]
- LEDC Less Economically Developed Country/Countries
- LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
- LO Liaison Office
- LOU Letter of Understanding
M[]
- MDGs Millennium Development Goals
- MEDC More Economically Developed Country/Countries
- MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- MIA Ministry of Internal Affairs
- MNCs Multi-national Corporations
- MOH Ministry of Health
- MOI Ministry of the Interior
- MOSS Minimum Operation Safety Standards
- MOU Memorandum of Understanding
- MPG Migration Policy Group
- MSF Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
- MSRP Management Systems Renewal Project
N[]
- NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- NBC Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
- NFI Non Food Item
- NGOs Non-governmental organizations
- NHRI National Human Rights Institution
- NRC Norwegian Refugee Council
O[]
- OAS Organisation of American States
- OAU Organisation of African Unity
- OC Officer Commanding
- OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (United Nations)
- ODIHR Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE)
- ODMS Organizational Development and Management Service (UNHCR)
- OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
- OFPRA Office Français de Protection des Réfugiés et Apatrides (Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, France)
- OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- OHR Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference
- OIOS Office of Internal Oversight Services (United Nations)
- OPLAN Operation Plan
- Ops Operational Partners
- OSAR Office Suisse d’Aide aux Refugiés (Swiss Office for the Assistance to Refugees)
- OSCE Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
- OSI Open Society Institute
P[]
- PARinAC Partnership in Action
- PDES Policy Development and Evaluation Service (UNHCR)
- PIP Protection Induction Programme
- PLP Protection Learning Programme
- ProCap Protection Capacity
- PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (United Nations)
- PSC Programme Support Costs
- PSM Peace Support Mission
- PSO Peace Support Operations
Q[]
- QIPs Quick Impact Projects
R[]
- RBM Results-based management
- RC Resident Coordinator (United Nations)
- RFE/RL Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
- RH Reproductive health
- RLA Regional Legal Advisor
- RO Regional Office
- ROE Rules of Engagement
- RPPs Regional Protection Programmes
- RSD Refugee Status Determination
- RSF Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders)
S[]
- S & I Standards and Indicators
- SC Security Council (United Nations)
- SCAF Sub-Committee on Administrative and Financial Matters (UNHCR)
- SCIP Sub-Committee of the Whole on International Protection (UNHCR)
- SDPIS Status Determination and Protection Information Section (UNHCR)
- SGBV Sexual and gender-based violence
- SIBA Staff member In Between Assignments
- SitRep Operations Situation Report
- SO Sub Office
- SOPs Standard Operating Procedures
- SPCP Strengthening Protection Capacity Project
- SPO Senior Protection Officer
- SRS Self-Reliance Strategy
- SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary-General (United Nations)
- STI Sexually transmitted infection
- SURGE Project Supporting UNHCR Resources on the Ground with Experts on mission
T[]
- TF Task Force
- THAP Temporary Humanitarian Assisted Persons
- TNCs Trans-national corporations
- ToC Table of contents
- ToR Terms of reference
- TPLP Thematic Protection Learning Programme
- TRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission
U[]
- UAM Unaccompanied minor
- UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- UK United Kingdom
- UN United Nations
- UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HI/AIDS
- UNCT United Nations Country Team
- UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- UNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination
- UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
- UNDCP United Nations Drug Control Programme
- UNDG United Nations Development Group
- UNDHA United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs
- UNDP United Nations Development Programme
- UNDPA United Nations Department of Political Affairs
- UNDSS United Nations Department of Safety and Security
- UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
- UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
- UNGA United Nations General Assembly
- UNHABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme
- UNHCHR United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
- UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women
- UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services
- UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
- UNSC United Nations Security Council
- UNV United Nations Volunteers
- USA United States of America
- USCRI U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
- USDHS United States Department of Homeland Security
- USDOS United States Department of State
- UXO Unexploded Ordinance
V[]
- VCT Voluntary counselling and testing
- Volrep Voluntary Repatriation
W[]
- WEM Workshop on Emergency Management
- WFP World Food Programme
- WHO World Health Organization
- WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction
- WTO World Trade Organization
Source:UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR List of Abbreviations, November 2006, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/460cc4a82.html (accessed 24 April 2011)