Global Dialogues on the 1951 Refugee Convention @75
2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention at a moment when refugee protection systems are under extraordinary strain. While the Convention remains the cornerstone of international refugee law, governments in many regions are increasingly restricting access to asylum, externalizing protection responsibilities, and circumventing refugee protection obligations through deterrence-based policies.
At the same time, new forms of displacement — including climate-related mobility, protracted internal displacement, gender-based persecution, and transnational repression — are exposing important gaps in existing protection frameworks.
In this context, the World Refugee & Migration Council (WRMC) proposes a focused global dialogue initiative designed not simply to commemorate the Convention, but to critically assess its contemporary relevance and identify practical pathways for strengthening refugee protection in an increasingly restrictive political environment.
The initiative will convene a series of four virtual dialogues bringing together refugee law scholars, policymakers, refugee leaders, practitioners, and civil society representatives from different regions of the world. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring strong participation from experts, practitioners, and refugee voices from the Global South, including regions hosting the overwhelming majority of the world’s displaced populations. These perspectives are often underrepresented in international policy discussions despite being central to the future of refugee protection.
The discussions will generate concise policy-oriented publications aimed at informing governments, international organizations, academic institutions, civil society actors, and philanthropic organizations engaged in refugee protection and forced displacement policy.
While other organizations are expected to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, WRMC’s contribution would focus specifically on practical policy challenges, emerging protection gaps, and future-oriented approaches to refugee protection. The project would emphasize comparative regional perspectives, independent policy discussion, and candid examination of how refugee protection can be strengthened in the current political climate.
WRMC’s international networks and independent policy role position it well to convene discussions that bridge academic, policy, practitioner, and refugee perspectives in a constructive and forward-looking manner.
Project Objectives
- Assess how the 1951 Refugee Convention has shaped refugee protection practices across different regions over the past 75 years;
- Examine how regional and complementary protection mechanisms are evolving in response to growing pressure on the international refugee protection system;
- Explore key protection gaps relating to climate mobility, internal displacement, gender-based persecution, and emerging forms of insecurity affecting displaced populations;
- Foster dialogue between academics, practitioners, refugee leaders, and policymakers regarding future directions for refugee protection;
- Elevate perspectives from the Global South and refugee-hosting regions that are often insufficiently represented in international refugee policy debates;
- Produce concise and accessible policy-oriented outputs aimed at strengthening contemporary refugee protection discussions and policy development.
Contact info@wrmcouncil.org for more information.
