Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in United States

Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

Geneva, 28th July, 1951

The High Contracting Parties,
CONSIDERING that the Charter of the United Nations and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved on
10th 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 recognised the
international scope and nature cannot therefore be achieved
without international co-operation,

Expressing the wish that all States, recognising 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
recognising 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 I

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
12th May, 1926(4) and 30th June, 1928 or under the Con-
ventions of 28th October, 1933, and 10th February, 1938,
the Protocol of 14th September, 1939, or the Constitution
of the International Refugee Organisation:

Decisions of non-eligibility taken by the International
Refugee Organisation 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 ;

(2) As a result of events occurring before lst 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 nation-
ality 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 well-
founded 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 1st January, 1951 “, in Article 1,
Section A, shall be understood to mean either
(a) ” events occurring in Europe before lst January, 1951″
or
(b) ” events occurring in Europe or elsewhere before lst
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 re-
acquired it; or

(3) He has acquired a new nationality, and enjoys the pro-
tection of the country of his new nationality; or

(4) He has voluntarily reestablished 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 con-
nexion with which he has been recognised 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 connexion with which he has been recognised
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 resolution adopted by the
General Assembly of the United Nations, these persons shall
ipso facto be entitled to the benefits of this Convention.

E. This Convention shall not apply to a person who is recognised
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 a
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 nonpolitical 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
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 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 establish-
ment 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 recognised by the law of that State had he not
become a refugee.

ARTICLE 13
Movable and Immovable Property
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 State
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 treat-
ment 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 benefits 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 considera-
tion to assimilating the rights of all refugees with regard to
wage-earning employment to those of nationals, and in par-
ticular of those refugees who 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 recognised 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 circum-
stances, with respect to education other than elementary educa-
tion 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 scholar-
ships.

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:

(a) In so far as such matters are governed by laws or regula-
tions 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 employ-
ment injury, occupational diseases, maternity, sickness, dis-
ability, 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 main-
tenance 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 considera-
tion 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 i
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 men-
tioned herein, but such fees shall be moderate and com-
mensurate with those charged to nationals for similar services.

5. The provisions of this Article shall be without prejudice
to Articles 27 and 28.

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 considera-
tion 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 inter-
national agreements by parties thereto shall be recognised 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 applica-
tion 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 resettle-
ment 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,
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 authorisation, provided they present them-
selves 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 necess-
ary and such restrictions shall only be applied until their
status in the country is regularised 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
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 reason-
able 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 terri-
tories 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 m
which he is, or who, having been convicted by a final judg-
ment of a particularly serious crime, constitutes a danger to
the community of that country.

ARTICLE 34
Naturalisation
The Contracting States shall as far as possible facilitate the
assimilation and naturalisation of refugees. They shall in
particular make every effort to expedite naturalisation pro-
ceedings 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 Comissioner 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 pro-
visions 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 here-
after be, in force relating to refugees.

ARTICLE 36
Information on National Legislation
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 Con-
vention, this Convention replaces, as between parties to it,
the Arrangements of 5th July, 1922, 31st May, 1924,
12th May, 1926, 30th June, 1928, and 30th July, 1935.
the Conventions of 28th October, 1933(6), and 10th February.
1938, the Protocol of 14th September, 1939, and the
Agreement of 15th 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 28th 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 28th July to 31st August, 1951, and shall be reopened
for signature at the Headquarters of the United Nations from
17th September, 1951, to 31st 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 28th July, 1951,
for accession by the States referred to in paragraph 2 of this
Article. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an in-
strument 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:

(a) With respect to those Articles of this Convention that
come within the legislative jurisdiction of the federal legisla-
tive 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 favorable
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 state-
ment of,the, law and practice of the Federation and its con-
stituent 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 para-
graph 1 of this Article may at any time withdraw the reserva-
tion 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 Con-
vention at any time by a notification addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2. The General Assembly of the United Nations shall re-
commend 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 non-member States
referred to in Article 39:

(a) of declarations and notifications in accordance with
Section B of Article I ;
(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 authorised, have signed
this Convention on behalf of their respective , Governments.

Done at Geneva, this 28th day of July, 1951, 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: