UNHCR and IPU Call for Renewed Parliamentary Solidarity as Refugee Convention Marks 75 Years

As levels of forced displacement continue to test asylum systems, the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention serves as a reminder that refugee protection requires more than international commitments; it needs strong national laws and political leadership.

Today, 149 States are party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol, or both. Accession provides States with a clear and predictable legal framework for refugee protection, strengthens international cooperation, and supports principled and effective responses to forced displacement.

On 28 July 2026, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees jointly addressed a letter to all IPU Member Parliaments, calling for their support in protecting the lives, rights, and dignity of people forced to flee.

The letter is accompanied by a checklist that reminds parliamentarians to support the allocation of adequate and predictable resources to strengthen national refugee protection capacities and inclusion in national systems.

Recognizing the pivotal role parliamentarians play in shaping national responses to displacement, UNHCR and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) are providing joint guidance, capacity-building initiatives, and targeted parliamentary engagement, while supporting legislators in strengthening their understanding of international refugee law and translating global commitments into practical national action.

Effective legislation can determine whether refugees are able to access asylum, enrol their children in school, obtain documentation, and work legally. Parliamentary leadership is also essential in supporting the communities that host refugees, ensuring that investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and livelihoods help both refugees and local populations.

Parliamentary action is also critical in delivering the ambitions of the Global Compact on Refugees. The IPU adopted a series of pledges including the Multi-stakeholder Pledge on the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol with the aim of encouraging parliaments of States who have not yet done so to accede and/or withdraw their reservations.

The joint appeal from UNHCR and IPU is a reminder that lasting protection depends on collective leadership. Parliamentarians have the power to transform lives.