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The 1951 Refugee Convention
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The Legislation that Underpins our Work
The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states. The 1967 Protocol removed geographical and temporal restrictions from the Convention. In July 2001, UNHCR published a special edition of its Refugees Magazine dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Convention.(pdf,1.2MB)
Text of the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol
The key document to refugee protection plus the text of the Protocol, which removed a deadline and geographical restrictions from the Convention.
1951 Refugee Convention Questions & Answers
The most frequently asked questions about the treaty.
Travaux Préparatoires
Records of the 1951 Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons.
- Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons: Summary Record of the Thirty-fifth Meeting
- Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons: Summary Record of the Thirty-fourth Meeting
- Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons: Summary Record of the Thirty-third Meeting
- Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons: Summary Record of the Thirty-second Meeting
- Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons: Summary Record of the Thirty-first Meeting