WHO WE ARE
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national umbrella
body for refugees and the organisations and individuals who support them. It has
more than 130
organisational members and 250 individual members.
Formed in 1981, RCOA is a non-profit organisation registered
as an incorporated association in the Australian Capital Territory. It is funded
through contributions from its members and by project grants from philanthropic
bodies and government agencies.
For more information, read:
• RCOA's
current information brochure
• The
latest RCOA annual report
• Our
core position paper from August 2004
• The
principles for the adoption of RCOA positions September 2004
The priority activities for RCOA are set by its members, as
represented by an elected Board. Members of the Council are involved in many areas
of refugee support including:
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assisting refugees in countries of first asylum and when they
repatriate to their homelands |
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providing settlement support to refugees in Australia |
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providing protection and legal advice to refugees and asylum
seekers |
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advocating on behalf of a particular refugee community |
RCOA endeavours to support its Members in these endeavours.
Another of the Refugee Council’s roles is to provide
training to service providers and groups. RCOA can design training packages specifically
to meet your needs on a wide range of refugee-related areas. Contact the RCOA
Secretariat for more details.
RCOA's own work is centred around five key areas: policy, support
for refugees, support for its Members, community education and administration.
In addition, RCOA seeks funding for specific projects that directly relate to
our objectives and enhance our capacity to serve the refugee community.
RCOA has close ties to many international organisations including
the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International
Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) (of which RCOA is a member), Asia Pacific
Refugee Rights Network and refugee councils in other countries.
In July 2009, RCOA was granted Special Consultative Status
with the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status enables RCOA to participate in a
variety of UN fora.
RCOA is also engaged in regular dialogue with federal and state
government departments, in particular the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
(DIAC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and with bodies
such as the Refugee Review Tribunal, the Australian
Council for International Development (ACFID) of which RCOA is a member, the
Australian Forum of Human Rights Organisations (AFHRO) and the Australian Human
Rights Commission.
RCOA was the auspicing body for the Refugee Advice and Casework
Service (RACS) and the ANCORW Jobskills Program for Refugee Women while they were
being established. Both programs have now incorporated independently.
Click here to view RCOA's Privacy
Policy.
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