1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.pdf
Adopted on 28 July 1951 by the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the
Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons convened under General Assembly resolution 429
(V) of 14 December 1950
Entry into force: 22 April 1954, in accordance with article 43
Preamble
The High Contracting Parties ,
Considering that the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
approved on 10 December 1948 by the General Assembly have affirmed the principle that human
beings shall enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination,
Considering that the United Nations has, on various occasions, manifested its profound concern for
refugees and endeavoured to assure refugees the widest possible exercise of these fundamental rights
and freedoms,
Considering that it is desirable to revise and consolidate previous international agreements relating to
the status of refugees and to extend the scope of and the protection accorded by such instruments by
means of a new agreement,
Considering that the grant of asylum may place unduly heavy burdens on certain countries, and that a
satisfactory solution of a problem of which the United Nations has recognized the international scope
and nature cannot therefore be achieved without international co-operation,
Expressing the wish that all States, recognizing the social and humanitarian nature of the problem of
refugees, will do everything within their power to prevent this problem from becoming a cause of
tension between States,
Noting that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is charged with the task of supervising
international conventions providing for the protection of refugees, and recognizing that the effective
co-ordination of measures taken to deal with this problem will depend upon the co-operation of States
with the High Commissioner,
Have agreed as follows :
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. – Definition of the term “refugee”
A. For the purposes of the present Convention, the term “refugee” shall apply to any person who:
(1) Has been considered a refugee under the Arrangements of 12 May 1926 and 30 June 1928 or
under the Conventions of 28 October 1933 and 10 February 1938, the Protocol of 14 September 1939
or the Constitution of the International Refugee Organization;
Decisions of non-eligibility taken by the International Refugee Organization during the period of its
activities shall not prevent the status of refugee being accorded to persons who fulfil the conditions of
paragraph 2 of this section;
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(2) As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and owing to well-founded fear of being
persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political
opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to
avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the
country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is
unwilling to return to it.
In the case of a person who has more than one nationality, the term “the country of his nationality”
shall mean each of the countries of which he is a national, and a person shall not be deemed to be
lacking the protection of the country of his nationality if, without any valid reason based on wellfounded
fear, he has not availed himself of the protection of one of the countries of which he is a
national.
B. (1) For the purposes of this Convention, the words “events occurring before 1 January 1951” in
article 1, section A, shall be understood to mean either ( a ) “events occurring in Europe before 1
January 1951″; or ( b ) “events occurring in Europe or elsewhere before 1 January 1951”; and each
Contracting State shall make a declaration at the time of signature, ratification or accession, specifying
which of these meanings it applies for the purpose of its obligations under this Convention.
(2) Any Contracting State which has adopted alternative ( a ) may at any time extend its obligations
by adopting alternative ( b ) by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
C. This Convention shall cease to apply to any person falling under the terms of section A if:
(1) He has voluntarily re-availed himself of the protection of the country of his nationality; or
(2) Having lost his nationality, he has voluntarily reacquired it; or
(3) He has acquired a new nationality, and enjoys the protection of the country of his new nationality;
or
(4) He has voluntarily re-established himself in the country which he left or outside which he remained
owing to fear of persecution; or
(5) He can no longer, because the circumstances in connection with which he has been recognized as a
refugee have ceased to exist, continue to refuse to avail himself of the protection of the country of his
nationality;
Provided that this paragraph shall not apply to a refugee falling under section A (1) of this article who
is able to invoke compelling reasons arising out of previous persecution for refusing to avail himself of
the protection of the country of nationality;
(6) Being a person who has no nationality he is, because the circumstances in connection with which
he has been recognized as a refugee have ceased to exist, able to return to the country of his former
habitual residence;
Provided that this paragraph shall not apply to a refugee falling under section A (1) of this article who
is able to invoke compelling reasons arising out of previous persecution for refusing to return to the
country of his former habitual residence.
D. This Convention shall not apply to persons who are at present receiving from organs or agencies of
the United Nations other than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees protection or
assistance.
When such protection or assistance has ceased for any reason, without the position of such persons
being definitively settled in accordance with the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly
of the United Nations, these persons shall ipso facto be entitled to the benefits of this Convention.
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E. This Convention shall not apply to a person who is recognized by the competent authorities of the
country in which he has taken residence as having the rights and obligations which are attached to the
possession of the nationality of that country.
F. The provisions of this Convention shall not apply to any person with respect to whom there are
serious reasons for considering that:
( a ) He has committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in
the international instruments drawn up to make provision in respect of such crimes;
( b ) He has committed a serious non-political crime outside the country of refuge prior to his
admission to that country as a refugee;
( c ) He has been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 2. – General obligations
Every refugee has duties to the country in which he finds himself, which require in particular that he
conform to its laws and regulations as well as to measures taken for the maintenance of public order.
Article 3. – Non-discrimination
The Contracting States shall apply the provisions of this Convention to refugees without discrimination
as to race, religion or country of origin.
Article 4. – Religion
The Contracting States shall accord to refugees within their territories treatment at least as favourable
as that accorded to their nationals with respect to freedom to practise their religion and freedom as
regards the religious education of their children.
Article 5. – Rights granted apart from this Convention
Nothing in this Convention shall be deemed to impair any rights and benefits granted by a Contracting
State to refugees apart from this Convention.
Article 6. – The term “in the same circumstances”
For the purposes of this Convention, the term “in the same circumstances” implies that any
requirements (including requirements as to length and conditions of sojourn or residence) which the
particular individual would have to fulfil for the enjoyment of the right in question, if he were not a
refugee, must be fulfilled by him, with the exception of requirements which by their nature a refugee is
incapable of fulfilling.
Article 7. – Exemption from reciprocity
1. Except where this Convention contains more favourable provisions, a Contracting State shall accord
to refugees the same treatment as is accorded to aliens generally.
2. After a period of three years’ residence, all refugees shall enjoy exemption from legislative
reciprocity in the territory of the Contracting States.
3. Each Contracting State shall continue to accord to refugees the rights and benefits to which they
were already entitled, in the absence of reciprocity, at the date of entry into force of this Convention
for that State.
4. The Contracting States shall consider favourably the possibility of according to refugees, in the
absence of reciprocity, rights and benefits beyond those to which they are entitled according to
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paragraphs 2 and 3, and to extending exemption from reciprocity to refugees who do not fulfil the
conditions provided for in paragraphs 2 and 3.
5. The provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 apply both to the rights and benefits referred to in articles 13,
18, 19, 21 and 22 of this Convention and to rights and benefits for which this Convention does not
provide.
Article 8. – Exemption from exceptional measures
With regard to exceptional measures which may be taken against the person, property or interests of
nationals of a foreign State, the Contracting States shall not apply such measures to a refugee who is
formally a national of the said State solely on account of such nationality. Contracting States which,
under their legislation, are prevented from applying the general principle expressed in this article,
shall, in appropriate cases, grant exemptions in favour of such refugees.
Article 9. – Provisional measures
Nothing in this Convention shall prevent a Contracting State, in time of war or other grave and
exceptional circumstances, from taking provisionally measures which it considers to be essential to the
national security in the case of a particular person, pending a determination by the Contracting State
that that person is in fact a refugee and that the continuance of such measures is necessary in his case
in the interests of national security.
Article 10. – Continuity of residence
1. Where a refugee has been forcibly displaced during the Second World War and removed to the
territory of a Contracting State, and is resident there, the period of such enforced sojourn shall be
considered to have been lawful residence within that territory.
2. Where a refugee has been forcibly displaced during the Second World War from the territory of a
Contracting State and has, prior to the date of entry into force of this Convention, returned there for
the purpose of taking up residence, the period of residence before and after such enforced
displacement shall be regarded as one uninterrupted period for any purposes for which uninterrupted
residence is required.
Article 11. – Refugee seamen
In the case of refugees regularly serving as crew members on board a ship flying the flag of a
Contracting State, that State shall give sympathetic consideration to their establishment on its territory
and the issue of travel documents to them or their temporary admission to its territory particularly
with a view to facilitating their establishment in another country.
Chapter II
JURIDICAL STATUS
Article 12. – Personal status
1. The personal status of a refugee shall be governed by the law of the country of his domicile or, if he
has no domicile, by the law of the country of his residence.
2. Rights previously acquired by a refugee and dependent on personal status, more particularly rights
attaching to marriage, shall be respected by a Contracting State, subject to compliance, if this be
necessary, with the formalities required by the law of that State, provided that the right in question is
one which would have been recognized by the law of that State had he not become a refugee.
Article 13. – Movable and immovable property
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The Contracting States shall accord to a refugee treatment as favourable as possible and, in any event,
not less favourable than that accorded to aliens generally in the same circumstances, as regards the
acquisition of movable and immovable property and other rights pertaining thereto, and to leases and
other contracts relating to movable and immovable property.
Article 14. – Artistic rights and industrial property
In respect of the protection of industrial property, such as inventions, designs or models, trade marks,
trade names, and of rights in literary, artistic and scientific works, a refugee shall be accorded in the
country in which he has his habitual residence the same protection as is accorded to nationals of that
country. In the territory of any other Contracting States, he shall be accorded the same protection as
is accorded in that territory to nationals of the country in which he has his habitual residence.
Article 15. – Right of association
As regards non-political and non-profit-making associations and trade unions the Contracting States
shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their territory the most favourable treatment accorded to
nationals of a foreign country, in the same circumstances.
Article 16. – Access to courts
1. A refugee shall have free access to the courts of law on the territory of all Contracting States.
2. A refugee shall enjoy in the Contracting State in which he has his habitual residence the same
treatment as a national in matters pertaining to access to the courts, including legal assistance and
exemption from cautio judicatum solvi .
3. A refugee shall be accorded in the matters referred to in paragraph 2 in countries other than that in
which he has his habitual residence the treatment granted to a national of the country of his habitual
residence.
Chapter III
GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT
Article 17. – Wage-earning employment
1. The Contracting States shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their territory the most
favourable treatment accorded to nationals of a foreign country in the same circumstances, as regards
the right to engage in wage-earning employment.
2. In any case, restrictive measures imposed on aliens or the employment of aliens for the protection
of the national labour market shall not be applied to a refugee who was already exempt from them at
the date of entry into force of this Convention for the Contracting State concerned, or who fulfils one of
the following conditions:
( a ) He has completed three years’ residence in the country;
( b ) He has a spouse possessing the nationality of the country of residence. A refugee may not invoke
the benefit of this provision if he has abandoned his spouse;
( c ) He has one or more children possessing the nationality of the country of residence.
3. The Contracting States shall give sympathetic consideration to assimilating the rights of all refugees
with regard to wage-earning employment to those of nationals, and in particular of those refugees who
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have entered their territory pursuant to programmes of labour recruitment or under immigration
schemes.
Article 18. – Self-employment
The Contracting States shall accord to a refugee lawfully in their territory treatment as favourable as
possible and, in any event, not less favourable than that accorded to aliens generally in the same
circumstances, as regards the right to engage on his own account in agriculture, industry, handicrafts
and commerce and to establish commercial and industrial companies.
Article 19. – Liberal professions
1. Each Contracting State shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their territory who hold diplomas
recognized by the competent authorities of that State, and who are desirous of practising a liberal
profession, treatment as favourable as possible and, in any event, not less favourable than that
accorded to aliens generally in the same circumstances.
2. The Contracting States shall use their best endeavours consistently with their laws and constitutions
to secure the settlement of such refugees in the territories, other than the metropolitan territory, for
whose international relations they are responsible.
Chapter IV
WELFARE
Article 20. – Rationing
Where a rationing system exists, which applies to the population at large and regulates the general
distribution of products in short supply, refugees shall be accorded the same treatment as nationals.
Article 21. – Housing
As regards housing, the Contracting States, in so far as the matter is regulated by laws or regulations
or is subject to the control of public authorities, shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their
territory treatment as favourable as possible and, in any event, not less favourable than that accorded
to aliens generally in the same circumstances.
Article 22. – Public education
1. The Contracting States shall accord to refugees the same treatment as is accorded to nationals with
respect to elementary education.
2. The Contracting States shall accord to refugees treatment as favourable as possible, and, in any
event, not less favourable than that accorded to aliens generally in the same circumstances, with
respect to education other than elementary education and, in particular, as regards access to studies,
the recognition of foreign school certificates, diplomas and degrees, the remission of fees and charges
and the award of scholarships.
Article 23. – Public relief
The Contracting States shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their territory the same treatment
with respect to public relief and assistance as is accorded to their nationals.
Article 24. – Labour legislation and social security
1. The Contracting States shall accord to refugees lawfully staying in their territory the same treatment
as is accorded to nationals in respect of the following matters;
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( a ) In so far as such matters are governed by laws or regulations or are subject to the control of
administrative authorities: remuneration, including family allowances where these form part of
remuneration, hours of work, overtime arrangements, holidays with pay, restrictions on home work,
minimum age of employment, apprenticeship and training, women’s work and the work of young
persons, and the enjoyment of the benefits of collective bargaining;
( b ) Social security (legal provisions in respect of employment injury, occupational diseases,
maternity, sickness, disability, old age, death, unemployment, family responsibilities and any other
contingency which, according to national laws or regulations, is covered by a social security scheme),
subject to the following limitations:
(i) There may be appropriate arrangements for the maintenance of acquired rights and rights in course
of acquisition;
(ii) National laws or regulations of the country of residence may prescribe special arrangements
concerning benefits or portions of benefits which are payable wholly out of public funds, and
concerning allowances paid to persons who do not fulfil the contribution conditions prescribed for the
award of a normal pension.
2. The right to compensation for the death of a refugee resulting from employment injury or from
occupational disease shall not be affected by the fact that the residence of the beneficiary is outside
the territory of the Contracting State.
3. The Contracting States shall extend to refugees the benefits of agreements concluded between
them, or which may be concluded between them in the future, concerning the maintenance of acquired
rights and rights in the process of acquisition in regard to social security, subject only to the conditions
which apply to nationals of the States signatory to the agreements in question.
4. The Contracting States will give sympathetic consideration to extending to refugees so far as
possible the benefits of similar agreements which may at any time be in force between such
Contracting States and non-contracting States.
Chapter V
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
Article 25. – Administrative assistance
1. When the exercise of a right by a refugee would normally require the assistance of authorities of a
foreign country to whom he cannot have recourse, the Contracting States in whose territory he is
residing shall arrange that such assistance be afforded to him by their own authorities or by an
international authority.
2. The authority or authorities mentioned in paragraph 1 shall deliver or cause to be delivered under
their supervision to refugees such documents or certifications as would normally be delivered to aliens
by or through their national authorities.
3. Documents or certifications so delivered shall stand in the stead of the official instruments delivered
to aliens by or through their national authorities, and shall be given credence in the absence of proof
to the contrary.
4. Subject to such exceptional treatment as may be granted to indigent persons, fees may be charged
for the services mentioned herein, but such fees shall be moderate and commensurate with those
charged to nationals for similar services.
5. The provisions of this article shall be without prejudice to articles 27 and 28.
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Article 26. – Freedom of movement
Each Contracting State shall accord to refugees lawfully in its territory the right to choose their place of
residence and to move freely within its territory subject to any regulations applicable to aliens
generally in the same circumstances.
Article 27. – Identity papers
The Contracting States shall issue identity papers to any refugee in their territory who does not
possess a valid travel document.
Article 28. – Travel documents
1. The Contracting States shall issue to refugees lawfully staying in their territory travel documents for
the purpose of travel outside their territory, unless compelling reasons of national security or public
order otherwise require, and the provisions of the Schedule to this Convention shall apply with respect
to such documents. The Contracting States may issue such a travel document to any other refugee in
their territory; they shall in particular give sympathetic consideration to the issue of such a travel
document to refugees in their territory who are unable to obtain a travel document from the country of
their lawful residence.
2. Travel documents issued to refugees under previous international agreements by Parties thereto
shall be recognized and treated by the Contracting States in the same way as if they had been issued
pursuant to this article.
Article 29. – Fiscal charges
1. The Contracting States shall not impose upon refugees duties, charges or taxes, of any description
whatsoever, other or higher than those which are or may be levied on their nationals in similar
situations.
2. Nothing in the above paragraph shall prevent the application to refugees of the laws and regulations
concerning charges in respect of the issue to aliens of administrative documents including identity
papers.
Article 30. – Transfer of assets
1. A Contracting State shall, in conformity with its laws and regulations, permit refugees to transfer
assets which they have brought into its territory, to another country where they have been admitted
for the purposes of resettlement.
2. A Contracting State shall give sympathetic consideration to the application of refugees for
permission to transfer assets wherever they may be and which are necessary for their resettlement in
another country to which they have been admitted.
Article 31. – Refugees unlawfully in the country of refuge
1. The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on
refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense
of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present
themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.
2. The Contracting States shall not apply to the movements of such refugees restrictions other than
those which are necessary and such restrictions shall only be applied until their status in the country is
regularized or they obtain admission into another country. The Contracting States shall allow such
refugees a reasonable period and all the necessary facilities to obtain admission into another country.
Article 32. – Expulsion
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1. The Contracting States shall not expel a refugee lawfully in their territory save on grounds of
national security or public order.
2. The expulsion of such a refugee shall be only in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with
due process of law. Except where compelling reasons of national security otherwise require, the
refugee shall be allowed to submit evidence to clear himself, and to appeal to and be represented for
the purpose before competent authority or a person or persons specially designated by the competent
authority.
3. The Contracting States shall allow such a refugee a reasonable period within which to seek legal
admission into another country. The Contracting States reserve the right to apply during that period
such internal measures as they may deem necessary.
Article 33. – Prohibition of expulsion or return (“refoulement”)
1. No Contracting State shall expel or return (” refouler “) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the
frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion,
nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
2. The benefit of the present provision may not, however, be claimed by a refugee whom there are
reasonable grounds for regarding as a danger to the security of the country in which he is, or who,
having been convicted by a final judgement of a particularly serious crime, constitutes a danger to the
community of that country.
Article 34. – Naturalization
The Contracting States shall as far as possible facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of refugees.
They shall in particular make every effort to expedite naturalization proceedings and to reduce as far
as possible the charges and costs of such proceedings.
Chapter VI
EXECUTORY AND TRANSITORY PROVISIONS
Article 35. – Co-operation of the national authorities with the United Nations
1. The Contracting States undertake to co-operate with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, or any other agency of the United Nations which may succeed it, in the
exercise of its functions, and shall in particular facilitate its duty of supervising the application of the
provisions of this Convention.
2. In order to enable the Office of the High Commissioner or any other agency of the United Nations
which may succeed it, to make reports to the competent organs of the United Nations, the Contracting
States undertake to provide them in the appropriate form with information and statistical data
requested concerning:
( a ) The condition of refugees,
( b ) The implementation of this Convention, and
( c ) Laws, regulations and decrees which are, or may hereafter be, in force relating to refugees.
Article 36. – Information on national legislation
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The Contracting States shall communicate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the laws and
regulations which they may adopt to ensure the application of this Convention.
Article 37. – Relation to previous conventions
Without prejudice to article 28, paragraph 2, of this Convention, this Convention replaces, as between
Parties to it, the Arrangements of 5 July 1922, 31 May 1924, 12 May 1926, 30 June 1928 and 30 July
1935, the Conventions of 28 October 1933 and 10 February 1938, the Protocol of 14 September 1939
and the Agreement of 15 October 1946.
Chapter VII
FINAL CLAUSES
Article 38. – Settlement of disputes
Any dispute between Parties to this Convention relating to its interpretation or application, which
cannot be settled by other means, shall be referred to the International Court of Justice at the request
of any one of the parties to the dispute.
Article 39. – Signature, ratification and accession
1. This Convention shall be opened for signature at Geneva on 28 July 1951 and shall thereafter be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. It shall be open for signature at the
European Office of the United Nations from 28 July to 31 August 1951 and shall be re-opened for
signature at the Headquarters of the United Nations from 17 September 1951 to 31 December 1952.
2. This Convention shall be open for signature on behalf of all States Members of the United Nations,
and also on behalf of any other State invited to attend the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the
Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons or to which an invitation to sign will have been addressed by
the General Assembly. It shall be ratified and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. This Convention shall be open from 28 July 1951 for accession by the States referred to in
paragraph 2 of this article. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article 40. – Territorial application clause
1. Any State may, at the time of signature, ratification or accession, declare that this Convention shall
extend to all or any of the territories for the international relations of which it is responsible. Such a
declaration shall take effect when the Convention enters into force for the State concerned.
2. At any time thereafter any such extension shall be made by notification addressed to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations and shall take effect as from the ninetieth day after the day of receipt by
the Secretary-General of the United Nations of this notification, or as from the date of entry into force
of the Convention for the State concerned, whichever is the later.
3. With respect to those territories to which this Convention is not extended at the time of signature,
ratification or accession, each State concerned shall consider the possibility of taking the necessary
steps in order to extend the application of this Convention to such territories, subject, where necessary
for constitutional reasons, to the consent of the Governments of such territories.
Article 41. – Federal clause
In the case of a Federal or non-unitary State, the following provisions shall apply:
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( a ) With respect to those articles of this Convention that come within the legislative jurisdiction of the
federal legislative authority, the obligations of the Federal Government shall to this extent be the same
as those of parties which are not Federal States;
( b ) With respect to those articles of this Convention that come within the legislative jurisdiction of
constituent States, provinces or cantons which are not, under the constitutional system of the
Federation, bound to take legislative action, the Federal Government shall bring such articles with a
favourable recommendation to the notice of the appropriate authorities of States, provinces or cantons
at the earliest possible moment;
( c ) A Federal State Party to this Convention shall, at the request of any other Contracting State
transmitted through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, supply a statement of the law and
practice of the Federation and its constituent units in regard to any particular provision of the
Convention showing the extent to which effect has been given to that provision by legislative or other
action.
Article 42. – Reservations
1. At the time of signature, ratification or accession, any State may make reservations to articles of
the Convention other than to articles 1, 3, 4, 16 (1), 33, 36-46 inclusive.
2. Any State making a reservation in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article may at any time
withdraw the reservation by a communication to that effect addressed to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
Article 43. – Entry into force
1. This Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day following the day of deposit of the sixth
instrument of ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the sixth instrument of
ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day following the date of
deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 44. – Denunciation
1. Any Contracting State may denounce this Convention at any time by a notification addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
2. Such denunciation shall take effect for the Contracting State concerned one year from the date upon
which it is received by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. Any State which has made a declaration or notification under article 40 may, at any time thereafter,
by a notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, declare that the Convention shall
cease to extend to such territory one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-
General.
Article 45. – Revision
1. Any Contracting State may request revision of this Convention at any time by a notification
addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shall recommend the steps, if any, to be taken in
respect of such request.
Article 46. – Notifications by the Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all Members of the United Nations and nonmember
States referred to in article 39:
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( a ) Of declarations and notifications in accordance with section B of article 1;
( b ) Of signatures, ratifications and accessions in accordance with article 39;
( c ) Of declarations and notifications in accordance with article 40;
( d ) Of reservations and withdrawals in accordance with article 42;
( e ) Of the date on which this Convention will come into force in accordance with article 43;
( f ) Of denunciations and notifications in accordance with article 44;
( g ) Of requests for revision in accordance with article 45.
In faith whereof the undersigned, duly authorized, have signed this Convention on behalf of their
respective Governments.
Done at Geneva, this twenty-eighth day of July, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-one, in a single
copy, of which the English and French texts are equally authentic and which shall remain deposited in
the archives of the United Nations, and certified true copies of which shall be delivered to all Members
of the United Nations and to the non-member States referred to in article 39.