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UNHCR marks 75 years
On Tuesday in Geneva, actors Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett and Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally called for refugee protections to be upheld as the United Nations decried mounting pressure on asylum systems.
“Actors Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett and Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally”
The legal safeguards for refugees are enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, drafted in the aftermath of World War Two, and the UNHCR issued a statement of support for the convention called “The Promise”.
High Commissioner Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president and refugee, said, “Seventy-five years ago, the world made a promise to protect people forced to flee.”
Reuters reported that the convention and its 1967 protocol have been ratified by 149 states, making them among the most widely supported international legal frameworks.
The Reuters report also said the United States has recently considered severing ties with the organisation that oversees implementation of the convention.
Funding and asylum curbs
Reuters said rights groups are concerned about growing asylum curbs, including the European Union’s plans for detention centres abroad and U.S. President Donald Trump’s restrictions on refugee admissions.
Michael Bochenek, Senior Counsel at Human Rights Watch, said, “We’re seeing a real series of efforts on the part of governments to employ tactics with the thought of getting out of the obligations under the convention.”
Reuters reported that the UN refugee agency’s available funding fell roughly 30% in 2025 amid donor cuts, and that the agency has laid off thousands of workers.
The Reuters report added that the agency announced further cuts this year as forced displacement reaches near-record levels worldwide.
In Geneva, Barham Salih said, “Our responsibility now is to keep that promise alive, for all generations to come,” ahead of a meeting on refugee protections at the UN.
A global coalition forms
The UNHCR launched on Tuesday a global campaign bringing together 75 personalities to reaffirm support for refugees and the right to seek asylum, named “The Promise,” ahead of the Global Refugee Forum to be held in 2027.
“The UNHCR launched on Tuesday a global campaign bringing together 75 personalities”
UNHCR said the initiative aims to strengthen solidarity with refugees as host countries bear a substantial burden and asylum systems are increasingly strained in many countries.
Barham Salih said, “The Refugee Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees has saved millions of lives over the decades; it lies at the heart of our shared humanity,” as he spoke at the campaign launch.
The Anadolu Ajansı report listed early signatories including actors and directors Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, and Ben Stiller, as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai, Nadia Murad, Denis Mukwege, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The Reuters report also said actors Ben Stiller, Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Erivo and Riz Ahmed were among the signatories, along with basketball star Wenyen Gabriel.
