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.
The Philippines became a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol in July 1981. In May 2011, it became the first country in Southeast Asia to ratify the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.