Treaties
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Defines a refugee and the principle of non-refoulement (art. 33).
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- Concluded
- Geneva, 28 Jul 1951
- In force
- 22 Apr 1954
- Parties
- 146
- Instrument
- Treaty
| State | Signed | Bound | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | — | 30 Aug 2005 | accession |
| Albania | — | 18 Aug 1992 | accession |
| Algeria | — | 21 Feb 1963 | succession |
| Angola | — | 23 Jun 1981 | accession |
| Antigua and Barbuda | — | 7 Sep 1995 | accession |
| Argentina | — | 15 Nov 1961 | accession |
| Armenia | — | 6 Jul 1993 | accession |
| Australia | — | 22 Jan 1954 | accession |
| Austria | 28 Jul 1951 | 1 Nov 1954 | ratification |
| Azerbaijan | — | 12 Feb 1993 | accession |
| Bahamas (The) | — | 15 Sep 1993 | accession |
| Belarus | — | 23 Aug 2001 | accession |
| Belgium | 28 Jul 1951 | 22 Jul 1953 | ratification |
| Belize | — | 27 Jun 1990 | accession |
| Benin | — | 4 Apr 1962 | succession |
| Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | — | 9 Feb 1982 | accession |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | — | 1 Sep 1993 | succession |
| Botswana | — | 6 Jan 1969 | accession |
| Brazil | 15 Jul 1952 | 16 Nov 1960 | ratification |
| Bulgaria | — | 12 May 1993 | accession |
| Burkina Faso | — | 18 Jun 1980 | accession |
| Burundi | — | 19 Jul 1963 | accession |
| Cambodia | — | 15 Oct 1992 | accession |
| Cameroon | — | 23 Oct 1961 | succession |
| Canada | — | 4 Jun 1969 | accession |
| Central African Republic | — | 4 Sep 1962 | succession |
| Chad | — | 19 Aug 1981 | accession |
| Chile | — | 28 Jan 1972 | accession |
| China | — | 24 Sep 1982 | accession |
| Colombia | 28 Jul 1951 | 10 Oct 1961 | ratification |
| Congo | — | 15 Oct 1962 | succession |
| Costa Rica | — | 28 Mar 1978 | accession |
| Croatia | — | 12 Oct 1992 | succession |
| Cyprus | — | 16 May 1963 | succession |
| Czech Republic | — | 11 May 1993 | succession |
| Côte d'Ivoire | — | 8 Dec 1961 | succession |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | — | 19 Jul 1965 | accession |
| Denmark | 28 Jul 1951 | 4 Dec 1952 | ratification |
| Djibouti | — | 9 Aug 1977 | succession |
| Dominica | — | 17 Feb 1994 | accession |
| Dominican Republic | — | 4 Jan 1978 | accession |
| Ecuador | — | 17 Aug 1955 | accession |
| Egypt | — | 22 May 1981 | accession |
| El Salvador | — | 28 Apr 1983 | accession |
| Equatorial Guinea | — | 7 Feb 1986 | accession |
| Estonia | — | 10 Apr 1997 | accession |
| Eswatini | — | 14 Feb 2000 | accession |
| Ethiopia | — | 10 Nov 1969 | accession |
| Fiji | — | 12 Jun 1972 | succession |
| Finland | — | 10 Oct 1968 | accession |
| France | 11 Sep 1952 | 23 Jun 1954 | ratification |
| Gabon | — | 27 Apr 1964 | accession |
| Gambia | — | 7 Sep 1966 | succession |
| Georgia | — | 9 Aug 1999 | accession |
| Germany | 19 Nov 1951 | 1 Dec 1953 | ratification |
| Ghana | — | 18 Mar 1963 | accession |
| Greece | 10 Apr 1952 | 5 Apr 1960 | ratification |
| Guatemala | — | 22 Sep 1983 | accession |
| Guinea | — | 28 Dec 1965 | succession |
| Guinea-Bissau | — | 11 Feb 1976 | accession |
| Haiti | — | 25 Sep 1984 | accession |
| Holy See | 21 May 1952 | 15 Mar 1956 | ratification |
| Honduras | — | 23 Mar 1992 | accession |
| Hungary | — | 14 Mar 1989 | accession |
| Iceland | — | 30 Nov 1955 | accession |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | — | 28 Jul 1976 | accession |
| Ireland | — | 29 Nov 1956 | accession |
| Israel | 1 Aug 1951 | 1 Oct 1954 | ratification |
| Italy | 23 Jul 1952 | 15 Nov 1954 | ratification |
| Jamaica | — | 30 Jul 1964 | succession |
| Japan | — | 3 Oct 1981 | accession |
| Kazakhstan | — | 15 Jan 1999 | accession |
| Kenya | — | 16 May 1966 | accession |
| Kyrgyzstan | — | 8 Oct 1996 | accession |
| Latvia | — | 31 Jul 1997 | accession |
| Lesotho | — | 14 May 1981 | accession |
| Liberia | — | 15 Oct 1964 | accession |
| Liechtenstein | 28 Jul 1951 | 8 Mar 1957 | ratification |
| Lithuania | — | 28 Apr 1997 | accession |
| Luxembourg | 28 Jul 1951 | 23 Jul 1953 | ratification |
| Madagascar | — | 18 Dec 1967 | accession |
| Malawi | — | 10 Dec 1987 | accession |
| Mali | — | 2 Feb 1973 | succession |
| Malta | — | 17 Jun 1971 | accession |
| Mauritania | — | 5 May 1987 | accession |
| Mexico | — | 7 Jun 2000 | accession |
| Monaco | — | 18 May 1954 | accession |
| Montenegro | — | 10 Oct 2006 | succession |
| Morocco | — | 7 Nov 1956 | succession |
| Mozambique | — | 16 Dec 1983 | accession |
| Namibia | — | 17 Feb 1995 | accession |
| Naoero | — | 28 Jun 2011 | accession |
| Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 28 Jul 1951 | 3 May 1956 | ratification |
| New Zealand | — | 30 Jun 1960 | accession |
| Nicaragua | — | 28 Mar 1980 | accession |
| Niger | — | 25 Aug 1961 | succession |
| Nigeria | — | 23 Oct 1967 | accession |
| North Macedonia | — | 18 Jan 1994 | succession |
| Norway | 28 Jul 1951 | 23 Mar 1953 | ratification |
| Panama | — | 2 Aug 1978 | accession |
| Papua New Guinea | — | 17 Jul 1986 | accession |
| Paraguay | — | 1 Apr 1970 | accession |
| Peru | — | 21 Dec 1964 | accession |
| Philippines | — | 22 Jul 1981 | accession |
| Poland | — | 27 Sep 1991 | accession |
| Portugal | — | 22 Dec 1960 | accession |
| Republic of Korea | — | 3 Dec 1992 | accession |
| Republic of Moldova | — | 31 Jan 2002 | accession |
| Romania | — | 7 Aug 1991 | accession |
| Russian Federation | — | 2 Feb 1993 | accession |
| Rwanda | — | 3 Jan 1980 | accession |
| Samoa | — | 21 Sep 1988 | accession |
| Sao Tome and Principe | — | 1 Feb 1978 | accession |
| Senegal | — | 2 May 1963 | succession |
| Serbia | — | 12 Mar 2001 | succession |
| Seychelles | — | 23 Apr 1980 | accession |
| Sierra Leone | — | 22 May 1981 | accession |
| Slovakia | — | 4 Feb 1993 | succession |
| Slovenia | — | 6 Jul 1992 | succession |
| Solomon Islands | — | 28 Feb 1995 | accession |
| Somalia | — | 10 Oct 1978 | accession |
| South Africa | — | 12 Jan 1996 | accession |
| South Sudan | — | 10 Dec 2018 | accession |
| Spain | — | 14 Aug 1978 | accession |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | — | 1 Feb 2002 | accession |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | — | 3 Nov 1993 | accession |
| Sudan | — | 22 Feb 1974 | accession |
| Suriname | — | 29 Nov 1978 | succession |
| Sweden | 28 Jul 1951 | 26 Oct 1954 | ratification |
| Switzerland | 28 Jul 1951 | 21 Jan 1955 | ratification |
| Tajikistan | — | 7 Dec 1993 | accession |
| Timor-Leste | — | 7 May 2003 | accession |
| Togo | — | 27 Feb 1962 | succession |
| Trinidad and Tobago | — | 10 Nov 2000 | accession |
| Tunisia | — | 24 Oct 1957 | succession |
| Turkmenistan | — | 2 Mar 1998 | accession |
| Tuvalu | — | 7 Mar 1986 | succession |
| Türkiye | 24 Aug 1951 | 30 Mar 1962 | ratification |
| Uganda | — | 27 Sep 1976 | accession |
| Ukraine | — | 10 Jun 2002 | accession |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 28 Jul 1951 | 11 Mar 1954 | ratification |
| United Republic of Tanzania | — | 12 May 1964 | accession |
| Uruguay | — | 22 Sep 1970 | accession |
| Yemen | — | 18 Jan 1980 | accession |
| Zambia | — | 24 Sep 1969 | succession |
| Zimbabwe | — | 25 Aug 1981 | accession |
How do we know? Imported from the source; not yet checked by a person.
UN Treaty Collection published this; the platform retrieved it 9 November 2026. Imported from the source; not yet checked by a person.
Source
- Source
- UN Treaty Collection
- Original
- https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&clang=_en&mtdsg_no=V-2&chapter=5 ↗
- Licence
- Public depositary record
- Retrieved
- 9 November 2026
Version
- Status
- Active
- Valid from
- 22 April 1954
- Reviewed
- Imported from the source; not yet checked by a person.
Authority
- Record type
- Treaty
- Domains
- treaties, migration
Where this comes from
- Source
- UN Treaty Collection ↗
- Licence
- Public depositary record
- Retrieved
- 9 Nov 2026
- Reviewed
- Unreviewed