Protection Publications
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UNHCR, and in particular the Division of International Protection, has published several handbooks and other legal publications.
This page offers quick access to the publications that are available on the UNHCR website.
Protection Training Materials
- 1. Europe: A Region of Migration and Protection. Annex 13 - Schengen Borders Code 2011
- 1. Europe: A Region of Migration and Protection. Annex 16 - Council Directive on the Residence Permit Issued to Third-Country Nationals Who Are Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings or who Have Been the Subject of an Action to Facilitate Illegal Immigration, who Cooperate with the Competent Authorities 2011
- 1. Europe: A Region of Migration and Protection. Annex 21 - Council Directive Defining the Facilitation of Unauthorised Entry, Transit and Residence 2011
Statements by the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
- Assistant High Commissioner for Protection – Statement to the 70th session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme (Geneva, 7-11 October 2019) 10 Oct 2019
- Statement to the 75th Meeting of the Standing Committee – Geneva 18-20 June 2019 18 Jun 2019
- Assistant High Commissioner for Protection – Statement to the 74th Meeting of the Standing Committee – Geneva 5-7 March 2019 5 Mar 2019
Speeches by the Director of International Protection
- Global Forum on Statelessness, The Hague, 15-17 September 2014 - Ending Statelessness: An Imperative for the 21st Century, Keynote Address by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection 15 Sep 2014
- Speech at the 60th Meeting of the Standing Committee, 1 July 2014. Volker Türk, Director, Division of International Protection 1 Jul 2014
- Remarks by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection, at the International Conference on Migration and Statelessness, 23-24 June 2014, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 23 Jun 2014
Selected Refugee Policy Documents
UNHCR Handbooks and Guides
The "Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status" with its complementary Guidelines, and other handbooks and guides for partners.
- Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees Feb 2019
- Refugee Protection: A Guide to International Refugee Law (Handbook for Parliamentarians) 2018
- Guidelines on International Protection No. 13: Applicability of Article 1D of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees to Palestinian Refugees Dec 2017
Compilations and Commentaries
The "Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions", the Grahl-Madsen Commentary on the Refugee Convention and others.
- A Thematic Compilation of Executive Committee Conclusions (7th edition) Jun 2014
- Refugee Protection and Human Trafficking: Selected Legal Reference Materials, First Edition 1 Dec 2008
- Collection of International Instruments and Legal Texts Concerning Refugees and Others of Concern to UNHCR<br><em>(June 2007)</em> 1 Jun 2007
European Series
- "Follow th€ Money III" - Solidarity: The use of AMIF funds to incentivise resettlement and relocation in the EU Feb 2020
- UNHCR Recommendations for the European Commission's Proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum Jan 2020
- The future of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund: Our call for more humane, transparent and effective resources for asylum and migration in the Union. 14 Nov 2019
UNHCR Reporting on Protection
UNHCR Planning on Protection
Notes on International Protection
UNHCR's annual reporting to ExCom and the General Assembly on international protection developments.
Refugees in Africa: The Challenges of Protection and Solutions
Outcome of the June 2004 regional parliamentary conference held in Cotonou, Benin, and coorganized by the African Parliamentary Union and UNHCR, in association with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and ICRC.
Resettlement Handbook and Country Chapters
UNHCR's key reference tool on global resettlement policy and practice.
Legal and Protection Policy Research
A series of legal research and protection policy papers issued by the UNHCR Division of International Protection.
UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls
This Handbook describes some of the protection challenges faced by women and girls of concern to UNHCR and outlines various strategies to be adopted with partners to tackle these challenges.
First edition, published January 2008
Sexual and Gender-based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons - Guidelines for Prevention and Response
Guidelines offering practical advice on how to design strategies.
Protection Manual
The Protection Manual is our repository of protection policy and guidance, gathering around 1,000 publications that range from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention to the latest UNHCR policy positions.
Refugee Protection in International Law
Edited by Erika Feller, Volker Türk and Frances Nicholson, published 2003 by Cambridge University Press
Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons
This handbook aims to provide legal and operational guidance to human rights, humanitarian and development actors involved in protection efforts on behalf of internally displaced people and other affected populations in complex emergencies.