Andrew Harper
Special Advisor on Climate Action to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Andrew Harper is the Special Advisor on Climate Action to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva. He is responsible for providing strategic guidance, oversight and expertise to shape UNHCR’s response to the climate emergency, with the aim of ensuring that the voices and concerns of forcibly displaced people are included in key climate-related policies and processes, promoting increased financing and support for climate-vulnerable countries and communities that host refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as strengthening the broader protection and solutions environment.
Prior to his current tasks, he was the Director of the Division of Programme Support & Management, where he oversaw programme policy, planning and management, as well as technical support to field operations. Andrew has led the Innovation Service in UNHCR and was responsible for leading and coordinating the international response to the Syria Crisis in Jordan. One of his main achievements was the establishment of the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps and ensuring that some 635,000 Syrian refugees were provided with assistance and protection.
Andrew also served as the Head of Desk for UNHCR, covering the Iraq Situation, as well as the Emergency Focal Point for the Middle East and North Africa region for the Libyan Crisis. He has previously worked for the Australian Embassy in Turkey and UNOCHA, and in various field locations with UNHCR, including Central and Southeast Asia, the Western Balkans, Islamic Republic of Iran and Ukraine.