Today is the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees; a milestone moment like this presents an opportunity to reflect on the impact this longstanding instrument has had on resolving refugee problems and how to ensure its continuing effectiveness moving forward as the principal standard for the international protection of refugees.
Examples of reflections, actions & proposals include:
UNHCR:
- The organization launched 'The Promise', "a public statement of solidarity, bringing together prominent figures from across society to reaffirm support for refugees and the right to seek safety."
- In addition, throughout 2026, UNHCR has been facilitating a series of national, regional and global dialogues that focus on examining "how the international protection system can respond more effectively to the realities of displacement today." This "process will culminate in the High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection in early December 2026 in Geneva. It will consolidate key themes, priorities and recommendations from across the year" and help shape UNHCR's policy priorities in 2027.
- It also published Refugee Definitions in National Laws "as a contribution to the effective implementation of international and regional refugee law and as part of the broader reflection prompted by the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention. By making national refugee definitions more accessible and comparable, it seeks to strengthen legal certainty, promote consistency in interpretation, and support the continuing efforts of States, courts, practitioners, civil society, academia and UNHCR operations to ensure that persons in need of international protection are identified and protected in accordance with the standards to which States have committed."
Global Perspectives on Strengthening the Refugee Convention (USCRI) [text]
- "At a time when the need for protection is high but durable solutions are rare, legal advocates have stepped up to strengthen local, regional, and global commitments to the Refugee Convention. ...So, on the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, we asked [them]: What part of the Refugee Convention are you championing or working to strengthen in your country?"
Protection Under Pressure: The Refugee Convention at 75—why its core promises still matter and what it will take to preserve them for the next generation (International Rescue Committee) [text]
- "The report calls for three shifts: properly resourcing asylum and reception systems to ensure timely and accurate decisionmaking of well-founded claims; replacing temporary status with predictable pathways to permanent residence and citizenship, paired with early investment in workforce integration; and renewed global cooperation, including honoring pledges under the Global Compact on Refugees and expanding financing for the low- and middle-income countries hosting 68% of the world's refugees."
The Refugee Convention at 75: Why it still matters (Kaldor Center for International Refugee Law) [access]
- This guide "allows you to explore the history, operation and enduring significance of one of the world's most important legal instruments."
Symposium on the 1951 Refugee Convention at 75: Introduction (OpinioJuris, June 2026) [access]
- A variety of commentators "take stock of how key stakeholders working with refugees and refugee law value the centrality of the 1951 Convention in the system of refugee protection that interacts with other bodies of law and what can be done to ensure its vitality to provide refugees a life in safety and with dignity, protecting them from harm and allowing them to rebuild their lives in the decades ahead." The introduction provides background on the refugee convention and introduces/links to the nine contributions.
Additional statements & commentary:
75 years after its adoption, the Refugee Convention remains as critical as ever for the protection of refugee and asylum-seeker rights: UN and regional human rights experts (Platform of Independent Experts on Refugee Rights/PIERR) [text]
75 Years of the Refugee Convention (Center for Gender & Refugee Studies) [access]
As the Refugee Convention approaches its 75th Anniversary, Global Civil Society Coalition Calls for Strengthened Implementation and Narratives Rooted in Hope and Solidarity, Not Fear and Division [text]
- From a "coalition of refugee-led, faith-based, humanitarian, legal aid, academic, and human rights organisations."
At a time of harder borders and ‘ruthless’ rhetoric, the Refugee Convention is more important than ever (The Conversation) [text]
High Commissioner’s speech marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention (UNHCR) [text]
Is the UN Refugee Convention still relevant? (Leiden Univ.) [text]
Marking 75 Years of the Refugee Convention (PILnet) [text]
Protection is Not an Act of Goodwill, But a Shared Obligation (UNHCR) [text]
- Q&A with Kristijan Mihajlovski, Visiting Lecturer from the Department of International Refugee Law and Migration Law of the International Institute for Humanitarian Law.
New publications:
75 years after the adoption of the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention: Insights from UNHCR’s Global Trends report, Geneva Telegram (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, July 2026) [access]
- Available in English and German.
"Beyond Persecution: Rethinking the 1951 Refugee Convention in the Caribbean Context," UWI St. Augustine Law Journal, vol. 4, no. 1 (2026) [open access]
International Journal of Refugee Law (Forthcoming, 2026)
- Special issue on "The 75th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention." Open access articles that have been posted in advance explore a variety of topics, including advancing refugee participation, cessation of refugee status, family unity and child protection, promoting new accessions to the refugee convention, protection in the context of climate change and disasters, protection of women and others from gender-based violence, and the relationship between the 1951 refugee convention and 1969 OAU refugee convention.
Finally, for a general introduction to, and access to further information on, international refugee law, please visit my just-updated web guide.
