Mr. Chairman,

1. Refugees have always been part of history. Unfortunately today their number and their suffering still remain a wound in the social fabric of the international community. They continue to challenge our conscience, each one of the 33 million persons whom the UNHCR is currently mandated to protect and assist. “A world where human rights are violated with impunity will never stop producing refugees of all kinds.”1 Uprooted by wars, political upheavals, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution and other human rights violations, refugees are both the flashing red light of alarm pointing out deep social and political failures and an urgent call to remedy their suffering. The Holy See is pleased to take part in these commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the major instrument of refugee protection and of the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. It is a special moment to express appreciation for the generous work carried out and to motivate renewed commitment and search for innovative responses. The Holy See was among the original 26 States that took part in the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in July of 1951 which gave rise to one of the conventions we commemorate today. Despite the tense geopolitical situation of the time, the parties held the hope that they could produce a convention that would make the world a better, safer, more humane place. They succeeded in the efforts and for 60 years people fleeing persecution have found protection. The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees was a good document for the time and was left open for greater inclusiveness. Intervening events and international agreements suggest possibilities that now can update and make more realistic the protection objectives of the Convention, in line with developments in this first part of the 21st century.

Mr. Chairman,

2. At the close of last year’s High Commissioner’s Dialogue, he noted the lack of the right “to run for one’s life.” The refugee definition in Article 1 of the 1951 Convention provides for protection from persecution. Public culture and a greater awareness of human rights call for a new understanding of forced displacement to escape tragic situations that are equivalent to persecution, for example, natural disasters, or events that seriously disturb public order and mistaken economic policies which put a population in life threatening conditions. A culture of protection entails a dynamic evolution of standards which, in turn, will promote peaceful relations and the common good since they safeguard the dignity and the rights of every person at risk.

To read the full statement of Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, please see the pdf below.

Holy see statement on the 60th anniversary of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (485.7 KB)