Objectives
 

                    In the aftermath of the Second World War, Member States of the United Nations became acutely aware of the problems of refugees and particularly of the need to ensure respect for their basic rights. The Convention and the Protocol are the most comprehensive instruments governing the legal status of refugees which have been adopted to date at the international level. They contain the minimum humanitarian standards for the treatment of refugees. Both instruments strengthen international cooperation and solidarity on behalf of refugees, and depoliticize the act of granting asylum. The Convention contains both time and geographical limitations (the latter being optional) with regard to the refugee definition. The purpose of the Protocol was to remove such limitations. The Protocol is an independent, though integrally related, international treaty. The majority of States are Contracting Parties to both the Convention and the Protocol, thereby underlining the universality of the two fundamental instruments concerning refugees.
 

                Key Provisions
 

                    Contracting Parties to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and to its Protocol undertake to protect refugees according to the terms set out in those instruments.
 

                    The Convention provides the definition of a refugee. A refugee is a person who is outside one's country of origin (or habitual residence in the case of stateless persons) and who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is unable or unwilling to avail oneself of the protection to which one is entitled.
 

                    In addition, the Convention stipulates when a person ceases to be a refugee and excludes from refugee status persons who have committed crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious non-political crimes committed outside the country of refuge.
 

                    The Convention also contains provisions on the rights and obligations of refugees, including, in particular, provisions to the effect that refugees should: i) not be expelled or returned to territory where their life or freedom would be threatened; not be penalized for having entered or being illegally in the country where they seek asylum; not be expelled except in exceptional circumstances to protect national security and public order; and ii) be obliged to conform to the laws and regulations of the country in which they find themselves, including measures taken to maintain public order.
 

                    The Convention sets out the standards for the economic and social rights of refugees. Furthermore, it prohibits discrimination against refugees on the basis of race, religion or country of origin.
 

                    Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to facilitate its duty of supervising the application of the provisions of the Convention and its Protocol. The UNHCR was established by General Assembly resolution 319 (IV) of 3 December 1949 and began operation on 1 January 1951. One of UNHCR's core functions is to provide international protection to refugees, inter alia, by promoting the conclusion and ratification of international conventions for the protection of refugees and supervising their application.
 

CONVENTION
 
  TEXT

Download:  English
 

Entry into force:  22 April 1954 Status as at 15 June 2000:  Signatories:  20  Contracting Parties:  136

 

PROTOCOL
 
 

Entry into force:  4 October 1967 Status as at 15 June 2000:  Signatories: --  Contracting Parties:  135