From the cover of Refugees Magazine, Issue 123, July 2001
The 1951 Refugee Convention

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. Read it in pdf format here (1.2MB)


1951 Refugee Convention Questions & Answers
The most frequently asked questions about the Convention, and their answers. Published September 2007.

2001 Note on International Protection
On the 1951 Refugee Convention and how it is being implemented.

50th anniversary
Read more about the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention in July 2001, and its continuing relevance.


Refugee Protection in International Law
Papers on key issues in the interpretation of the 1951 Convention, published in one volume.


Text of the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol
The KEY document to refugee protection – in full, plus the text of the Protocol. The protocol removed a deadline and geographical restrictions from the Convention.

States Parties to the Convention and the Protocol
(As of 1 November 2007)

Reservations and declarations
(As of 1 March 2006)

Map of States Parties to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol
(As of 1 March 2006)

Travaux préparatoires
Records of the 1951 Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons.

Signing on could make all the difference
Why should countries sign on to the Convention?

Procedures for becoming a State party




Global Consultations
On International Protection