Glossary Term
Refugee law
The body of customary international law and various international, regional, and national legal instruments that establish standards for refugee protection. The cornerstone of refugee law is the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Optional Protocol. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated by the UN to provide international protection to refugees and to seek permanent solutions to their problems through its Statute, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1950.