Feature story
“As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, we are reminded that refugee protection is not only a legal obligation but a moral responsibility rooted in our shared humanity,” said Carla Khijoyan, WCC programme executive for Peace Building in the Middle East. “At a time of unprecedented displacement and growing polarization, faith communities play a vital role in upholding both the rights and the dignity of those forced to flee.”
Looking back 75 years, the WCC, from its very beginnings in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, played an important early advocacy and liaison role around refugee protection in the nascent UN system.
Two years before its formal founding in 1947, and in a context of massive displacement due to the catastrophic impacts of the war, the WCC—still in formation—joined in creating the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), partly to serve as an interface with the United Nations on refugee protection and resettlement. The CCIA’s mandate explicitly included engagement with UN bodies dealing with refugees, laying the groundwork for church-based input into emerging international refugee norms.
“In 1949, before the Refugee Convention was finalized, CCIA proposed to the UN General Assembly that an inclusive definition of the refugee problem be developed going beyond the specific European situations then in focus,” explained CCIA director Peter Prove. “It voiced particular concern for Palestinian refugees, and urged a comprehensive international plan for both stateless refugees and those who were homeless but not formally stateless.”
In the years since the adoption of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the WCC has regularly used the convention as a normative reference point in its refugee-related work and policy positions, striving to strengthen the implementation of international standards and to support relevant activities by the UN, by governments, and by churches and related organizations for the protection of refugees.
“The WCC – jointly with the Lutheran World Federation – founded the ACT Alliance as an instrument for consolidating international ecumenical support for displaced persons and all people affected by humanitarian crises and poverty, and still accompanies the diaconal work of member churches and related organizations,” said Prove. “The WCC continues to urge all states to sign, ratify, and implement the 1951 Refugee Convention, as well as the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, recognizing these treaties as important instruments for the protection of the God-given human dignity and human rights of refugees and of stateless people.”
First in, last out
To this day, noted Khijoyan, across traditions, churches and interfaith partners are often among the first to respond and the last to leave.
“When media attention fades, funding declines, and geopolitical priorities shift elsewhere, local faith communities remain—accompanying refugees, supporting host communities, and sustaining solidarity over the long term,” she said. “Their presence, trust, and rootedness within communities enable them to transform compassion into practical action and inclusion.”
The future of refugee protection will depend not only on the strength of international law and institutions, but also on our ability to foster a culture of welcome, solidarity, and shared responsibility, said Khijoyan. “In this regard, interfaith cooperation is not simply complementary to humanitarian action; it is an essential force for building more resilient, just, inclusive, and humane societies.”
The memorandum of understanding recently signed by the WCC and the UN Refugee Agency provides a framework for deepening cooperation on awareness raising around forced displacement and statelessness and on interfaith initiatives that promote belonging and dignity for refugees.
“Through this partnership, the WCC seeks to strengthen its engagements with its global church networks to support the implementation of refugee protection standards rooted in the 1951 convention, particularly at the community level,” said Prove. “At the same time, it continues to mobilise churches to advocate for humane asylum policies consistent with the convention in national and regional debates.”
75th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention: UNHCR announces year of action and dialogue
"WCC leaders visit UN Refugee Agency" (WCC news release, 9 June 2026)
