The 1951 Refugee Convention and Non-Signatory States of the Middle East

At the end of 2020, 149 States were party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol, or both. Forty-four members of the United Nations, however, were not party to either of these core instruments. What is the influence of the 1951 Refugee Convention in non-signatory States? How do non-signatory States engage with, and help to create, the international refugee regime?

Drawing on examples from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, this talk argues that the Convention continues to structure States' responses to refugees, and plays a central role not only in States that are party to the Convention, but also in key non-signatory States. It discusses the many ways in which international refugee law norms are spread and used in non-signatory States, and how, by being present and active in global fora these States also participate in the evolution and interpretation of international refugee law.

Maja Janmyr is Professor of International Migration Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo (UiO), and a Research Associate at the Refugee Studies Centre of the University of Oxford. Focusing predominantly on Lebanon, her work takes a socio-legal approach to international law, examining in particular how refugees and other migrants understand and engage with legal norms and institutions, and how international refugee law is interpreted and implemented in local contexts. Professor Janmyr has led several large research projects in international refugee law, and currently holds a Starting Grant (2021-2026) from the European Research Council for the project "Protection without Ratification? International Refugee Law beyond States Parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention (BEYOND)", as well as a FRIPRO grant (2019-2023) from the Research Council of Norway for the project "Refugees and the Arab Middle East: Protection in States Not Party to the Refugee Convention (REF-ARAB)". She has held visiting fellowships at the American University in Cairo (2014), at the American University of Beirut (2015-17) and at the Geneva Graduate Institute (2022).

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

IAS Common Ground, Room G11, Ground Floor, South Wing, UCL, London, United Kingdom