The international convention on the status of refugees will come into force tomorrow in six countries, adding new rights to those who have been admitted into those countries and establishing a new travel document for them. The six countries are: Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg and Australia. In the United Kingdom, the convention will enter into force on June 9.
In a statement issued here today, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Dr. G. J. Van Heuven Goedhart, said: “This 22nd April will deserve its modest place in history. Although it will not be marked by celebrations or parades, it is a day of great significance to hundreds of thousands of people who, although living in different countries, have one thing in common: they are refugees.
“On this day, new basic rights will be added to those which hospitable countries granted to the victims of persecution seeking asylum on their soil; These basic rights have now been codified and even extended, in the social and economic fields, by this convention. It will supersede former international agreements concerning refugees. It establishes a new travel document for them. It entrusts the UN High Commissioner with the supervision of its application.”
The study in the United Nations of the question of the protection of stateless persons was initiated by the Commission on Human Rights in 1947. The convention was unanimously adopted by 26 states at a conference of plenipotentiaries in Geneva, July 1951, with the provision that it would enter into force 90 days after the day of deposit of the sixth instrument of ratification or accession.
In addition to the seven above-named countries that have ratified or acceded to the convention, the following states have signed it: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Greece, the Holy See, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.
The convention lays down certain basic requirements for average standards of social, legal and economic treatment. It puts refugees on an equal footing with nationals in the right to public relief, the practice of religion and elementary education. It establishes the principle that refugees should at least be granted treatment not less favorable than that accorded to foreigners generally in such matters as “the right to engage in wage-earning employment. “
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
