联合国难民公约英文版

联合国难民公约英文版
The United Nations Refugee Convention
The United Nations Refugee Convention, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention, is a key legal document that defines who is a refugee, their rights, and the legal obligations of states to protect them. This convention was adopted on July 28, 1951, and entered into force on April 22, 1954. It was initially limited to protecting European refugees in the aftermath of World War II, but its scope was later expanded to include refugees worldwide through the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.
The convention defines a refugee as someone who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." This definition has become the cornerstone of international refugee law and has been widely adopted by countries around the world.
The convention outlines the rights and obligations of both refugees
and states. Refugees are entitled to a range of rights, including the right to work, the right to education, the right to freedom of movement, and the right to be protected from refoulement, which is the forcible return of a refugee to a country where they face persecution.
States, on the other hand, are obligated to provide protection and assistance to refugees within their territory. This includes granting them asylum, providing them with identity and travel documents, and ensuring that their basic needs are met. States are also prohibited from expelling or returning refugees to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened.
One of the key principles of the convention is the principle of non-refoulement, which is the cornerstone of international refugee law. This principle prohibits states from returning refugees to a country where they face persecution, torture, or other forms of serious harm. This principle is considered to be a fundamental human rights norm and is binding on all states, regardless of whether they have ratified the convention or not.
The convention has been widely ratified by countries around the world, with 145 states being parties to it as of 2022. However, there have been ongoing challenges and criticisms of the convention, particularly in relation to its limited scope and its inability to address
the needs of modern-day refugees.
One of the main criticisms of the convention is that it was designed to address the needs of refugees in the aftermath of World War II, and as a result, it may not be well-suited to addressing the needs of contemporary refugees, who often flee from a wider range of threats, including natural disasters, climate change, and armed conflict.
Additionally, the convention has been criticized for its limited geographical scope, as it was initially limited to protecting European refugees. While the 1967 Protocol expanded the scope of the convention to include refugees worldwide, there are still concerns that the convention does not adequately address the needs of refugees from other regions of the world.
Despite these criticisms, the United Nations Refugee Convention remains a cornerstone of international refugee law and continues to play a crucial role in protecting the rights of refugees around the world. As the global refugee crisis continues to grow, it is increasingly important that the international community work to uphold the principles of the convention and ensure that all refugees are treated with dignity and respect.。