July 28, 2026 marks 75 years since the signing of the 1951 United Nations Convention Regarding the Status of Refugees, often called the Refugee Convention. It has been foundational to the vital work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN Refugee Agency).
For 75 years, the convention has helped save lives, protect rights and provide a framework through which millions of refugees have found safety, rebuilt their lives and contributed to the communities that welcomed them.
To mark the anniversary, Anglican News explores the importance of the Refugee Convention and how Anglicans are working with the UNHCR to support refugees and displaced persons.
Until Everyone is Safe
The anniversary is a milestone moment to reaffirm the right to seek asylum and the values underpinning the international refugee protection system.
The theme for the anniversary is ‘Until Everyone is Safe’, which calls people of the world to learn more about the Refugee Convention, speak up about the current status of refugees and support the work of the UNHCR.
The Archbishop of Canterbury signs 'The Promise'
The UNHCR held a formal commemorative program on 28 July at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, featuring global solidarity launches and policy discussions.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is among 75 leading figures from across society who have joined the UNHCR, in launching The Promise, a global statement of solidarity with refugees.
Through The Promise, signatories reaffirm the enduring principles of the Refugee Convention and the commitment to protect people fleeing conflict, violence and persecution.
UNHCR and Global Dialogues
At a time of record displacement, shrinking protection space and mounting pressure on asylum systems, the 1951 Convention remains the most practical and comprehensive framework for refugee protection – but its promise is too often experienced as fragmented. Refugees find safety without legal certainty, recognition without effective access to rights, inclusion without a credible path forward.
Throughout 2026, the UNHCR will hold a series of national, regional and global dialogues to ask a fundamental question: how can the international protection system respond more effectively to the realities of displacement today?
The scale of the displacement crisis
According to UNHCR, at the end of 2025, an estimated 117.8 million people worldwide had been forced to flee their homes. This figure includes 68.6 million internally displaced people who remained within their own countries, 41.6 million refugees and other people in need of international protection and almost 9 million asylum-seekers awaiting decisions on their claims. Despite a slight decline from 2024, global forced displacement remains at significantly high levels, with one in every 70 people worldwide forcibly displaced.
Anglican Communion advocacy and the UNHCR
Anglicans are among the faith groups who regularly advocate at the highest international levels for provision and safety for displaced people. They work with the UNHCR in responding to optimise the impact of support despite stretched resources.
The Anglican Communion has representation on the UNHCR's Multireligious Council of Leaders: the Most Revd Maimbo Mndolwa, Archbishop of Tanzania and the Rt Revd Mark Edington of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.
Bishop Mark took part in today's anniversary events at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Earlier this year, both bishops shared a joint statement resisting divisive political narratives as global displacement nears 136 million. It invites ‘people of goodwill to stand alongside refugees in prayer, advocacy, friendship and action.’
Anglicans also consistently work ecumenically with groups such as the World Lutheran Federation to garner support for those impacted by the migration crisis.
People on the Move – Equipping churches on the front line of the migration crisis
In terms of local action, churches and other faith-based institutions are often situated in places of conflict or migration routes. They are often the places people run to when crisis or hardship strikes.
To support churches in such circumstances, the Anglican Alliance has recently developed the resource 'People on the Move'. It's a practical toolkit designed to equip churches with information and guidance on welcoming and supporting migrants, refugees and Internally Displaced People.
The Anglican Alliance is a development and relief organisation working with Anglican Churches across the world. It convenes the Global Anglican Working Group on Migration, bringing together churches and agencies across the Anglican Communion that are serving migrants and refugees.
Anglican Alliance and UNHCR workshop
On July 22, the Anglican Alliance partnered with the UNHCR for a workshop on route-based church collaboration for refugees and migrants. Representatives from regional UN offices and Anglican agencies gathered online from across the world to share current efforts and discuss areas for future collaboration.
The Anglican Alliance shared that the focus route of this session was the Central Mediterranean Route, where the Church provides not only a grassroots response at the local, congregational level in all countries of origin, transit and destination, but also a broader umbrella structure through professional faith-based actors in the Non-Governmental Organisation sector.
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