The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has responded to my latest email regarding the location, and access to the records of United Nations International Refugee Organisation (IRO). In the latest attempt I directed my inquiry to the Archives section of the UNHCR, rather than to the organisation in general, and the Archives section replied within 12 hours! The answer:
Dear Peter N ...,
The records of the International Refugee Organization (IRO) were placed in the Archives Nationales de France in Paris when the agency closed in 1951 (Fonds AJ 43). More information may be found by addressing a request to the Archives Nationales, 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 75141 Paris, FRANCE http://www.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/chan/
Kind regards
Montserrat Canela,
Senior Archivist
UNHCR Records and Archives Section
94, rue de Montbrilland
1202 Geneva, Switzerland"
The answer shows that logic does not always apply when dealing with organisations, I had the thought that my previous emails would be sent on to the appropriate officer in UNHCR; I was wrong. My general inquiries to the UNHCR resulted in no replies, whereas, my question sent specifically to their archives people merited an answer; fit your question to a particular part of the target organisation and you are more likely to get an answer! The other piece of logic that did not work was the idea that the UNHCR would inherit and retain the files of its predecessor organisation, the IRO.
Now for a short (Internet) trip to Paris.
The answer shows that logic does not always apply when dealing with organisations, I had the thought that my previous emails would be sent on to the appropriate officer in UNHCR; I was wrong. My general inquiries to the UNHCR resulted in no replies, whereas, my question sent specifically to their archives people merited an answer; fit your question to a particular part of the target organisation and you are more likely to get an answer! The other piece of logic that did not work was the idea that the UNHCR would inherit and retain the files of its predecessor organisation, the IRO.
Now for a short (Internet) trip to Paris.
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