Protection publications

UNHCR, and in particular the Division of International Protection, has published several handbooks and other legal publications.

This page offers quick access to the publications that are available on the UNHCR website.

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Resources

Advancing protection outcomes through Humanitarian-Development Cooperation

Protection training materials

UNHCR Protection Training Manual for European Border and Entry Officials - 7. The Return of Persons not in Need of International Protection. Annex 3 - Migration-Related Detention

Advisory Opinion on the Extraterritorial Application of Non-Refoulement Obligations under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol

UNHCR Protection Training Manual for European Border and Entry Officials - 6. The Treatment of Persons Rescued at Sea. Annex 4

Convention on the Rights of the Child: General Comment n° 6 (2005): Treatment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children outside their Country of Origin

UNHCR Protection Training Manual for European Border and Entry Officials - 7. The Return of Persons not in Need of International Protection. Annex 14

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Statements by the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection

80th meeting of the Standing Committee 2020 High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, Oral Update by the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection

77th Session of the Standing Committee Geneva, 11 March 2020 Remarks by Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Ms Gillian Triggs

Statement by Volker Türk Assistant High Commissioner for Protection: longer version

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Speeches by the Director of International Protection

Global Forum on Statelessness, The Hague, 15-17 September 2014 - Ending Statelessness: An Imperative for the 21st Century, Keynote Address by
Volker Türk, Director of International Protection

Speech at the 60th Meeting of the Standing Committee, 1 July 2014. Volker Türk, Director, Division of International Protection

Remarks by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection, at the International Conference on Migration and Statelessness, 23-24 June 2014, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

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Selected refugee policy documents

Guidelines on Policies and Procedures in Dealing with Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum

Sexual Violence Against Refugees: Guidelines on Prevention and Response (UNHCR)

UNHCR's Operational Experience With Internally Displaced Persons

View more refugee policy documents

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.

Practical Guidance for UNHCR Staff on IDP Protection in the Context of Disasters and the Adverse Effects of Climate Change

Your Guide to Protection Care Management

Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees

The Handbook was first published in 1979 and re-issued in 1992 and in 2019

View more UNHCR handbooks and guides

Compilations and commentaries

The “Thematic compilation of Executive Committee conclusions”, the Grahl-Madsen commentary on the Refugee Convention and others.

A Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions (7th edition)

Refugee Protection and Human Trafficking: Selected Legal Reference Materials, First Edition

Compilation of conclusions adopted by the Executive Committee on the international protection of refugees: 1975 - 2004 (Conclusion No. 1 - 101)

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Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability Report 2018-2019

This report provides an analysis of data on the implementation of the AGD Policy since its release in March 2018. It outlines the progress made against the areas of engagement and 10 minimum core actions set forth by the policy, and provides examples from operations across all regions on AGD inclusive programming, accountability to affected people (AAP) and gender equality (GE).

UNHCR reporting on protection

UNHCR planning on protection

Notes on international protection

UNHCR’s annual reporting to ExCom and the General Assembly on international protection developments.

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 ICRC.

Resettlement Handbook and Country Chapters

UNHCR's key reference tool on global resettlement policy and practice.

Legal and protection policy research

A series of legal research and protection policy papers issued by the UNHCR Division of International Protection.

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

Sexual and Gender-based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons - Guidelines for Prevention and Response

Guidelines offering practical advice on how to design strategies.

A Community-based Approach in UNHCR Operations

Protection Manual

The Protection Manual is our repository of protection policy and guidance, gathering around 1,000 publications that range from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention to the latest UNHCR policy positions.

Registration Handbook

Procedures for registration, population data management and documentation.

Refugee Protection in International Law

Edited by Erika Feller, Volker Türk and Frances Nicholson, published 2003 by Cambridge University Press

Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons

This handbook 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.

Global sites

Regional sites

Country sites