Joint evaluation of the protection of the rights of refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic

This Joint Evaluation of the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of Refugees during the COVID-19 Pandemic was commissioned under the auspices of the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition.1 The evaluation examines the effectiveness of international co-operation and the combined response of host states, United Nations (UN) system agencies, and non-governmental and civil society organisations including refugee-led organisations2 (RLOs) in ensuring the protection of the rights of refugees during the global pandemic. The evaluation was carried out from May 2021 to January 2022 as the pandemic continued to evolve and present a constantly changing set of consequences for legal systems, social norms and the functioning of aid systems that are designed to offer support to the upholding of refugee rights. The evaluation was undertaken completely remotely and with layered evaluations methods (data analysis, document review, funding analysis and key informant interviews) to gather a balanced set of evidence.