Glossary
International organisation introduced by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 for the purposes of preserving peace in Europe at the end of World War I. The very first international refugee protection institutions were set up within the League of Nations . In 1921, Fridtjof Nansen was appointed the first High Commissioner for Refugees. This Norwegian explorer and politician devoted the rest of his life to finding solutions to the multiple problems facing refugees . He particularly worked on creating a legal protection system for these refugees. After his death, in 1930, the Nansen Office was set up to continue his work. In October 1938, a single Office of the High Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees was established, and would work through until December 1946.