Protection Publications

UNHCR, and in particular the Department of International Protection, has published several handbooks and other legal publications. This page is meant to give quick access to those publications that are available electronically on the UNHCR website. The publications are normally in English, but when available, various language versions are also posted.


UNHCR handbooks and guides
The "Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status" with its complementary Guidelines, and other handbooks and guides for partners.





Compilations and commentaries

The "Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions", the Grahl-Madsen Commentary on the Refugee Convention and others.





Training materials

Various training modules used by UNHCR.



Selected refugee policy documents

Several key policy documents relating to, among others, refugee women and internally displaced persons.



UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls
This Handbook describes some of the protection challenges faced by women and girls of concern to UNHCR and outlines various strategies to be adopted with partners to tackle these challenges.
First edition, published January 2008


A Community-based Approach in UNHCR Operations
First edition, January 2008


UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations


Registration Handbook
A new handbook for registering, documenting and managing population data in various operational contexts.


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


Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons
This provisional edition aims to provide legal and operational guidance to human rights, humanitarian and development actors involved in protection efforts on behalf of internally displaced people and other affected populations in complex emergencies. Published December 2007.


Refugees in Africa: The Challenges of Protection and Solutions
Outcome of the June 2004 regional parliamentary conference held in Cotonou, Benin, and coorganized by the African Parliamentary Union and UNHCR, in association with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the ICRC (pdf, 1.4Mb).