The legal foundations of refugee protection
The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, what are the rights of refugees and what are the legal obligations of states. Other international conventions and protocols, EU legislation and national legal instruments form the legal basis of UNHCR’s work in the Central European region.
The 1951 Refugee Convention
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The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol has been signed by 144 state parties (download map of state parties here). |
Questions and Answers about the 1951 Refugee Convention
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 English (pdf) |
The 1954 Statelessness Convention
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The 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons has been signed by 63 state parties. |
The 1961 Statelessness Convention
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The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness has been signed by 35 state parties. Convention in English (pdf) |
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European Union Legal Material on asylum |
