The UNHCR Representation to African Union and UN Economic Commission of Africa website provides information and analysis on major developments and issues relating to refugees and other people of concern to UNHCR in Africa; relevant news about activities of the African Union and other regional partners as well as updates about the UNHCR programme in Ethiopia.

The UNHCR Regional Liaison Office (RLO) was opened in Addis Ababa in 1966 in order to establish strong relations with the then new Organization of African Unity and other international organizations based in Ethiopia. In 1969, UNHCR concluded a cooperation agreement with the OAU providing for mutual consultations on matters of common interest concerning refugees in Africa. More than forty years of partnership with the African Union has helped UNHCR to strengthen its collaboration with all members of the AU and more effectively address the problem of refugees in the continent.

Immediately after RLO’s establishment refugees starting coming to Ethiopia and the new office had to take on two major roles – the protection and assistance of refugees in Ethiopia on the one hand and its originally envisaged role of regional liaison. During the past four decades the office, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Government and other local and international partners, has assisted hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia, Sudan and other countries of origin. Today, Ethiopia hosts over 90,000 refugees mainly from Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Eritrea in camps around the country and a smaller number of urban refugees from several other countries in the capital, Addis Ababa.

As of January 2009, what used to be known as the Regional Liaison Office was split into two offices in order to better manage the two key responsibilities. These are: the Representation in Ethiopia and the Representation to the African Union and the ECA (RAUECA).