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Article: Convention refugees.(United Nations treaty, Convention on the Status of Refugees, that helps persecuted refugees)
- Article from:
- Canada and the World Backgrounder
- Article date:
- December 1, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Canada & the World. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides legal and political aid to refugees. Its main responsibilities are helping to return refugees to their homelands or resettling them abroad. The UNHCR also protects the legal rights of refugees regarding employment and social benefits, and provides identity and travel documents.
In July 1951, the UN brought together 26 states, including Canada, to write and sign a Convention on the Status of Refugees. The purpose of the meeting was to help people uprooted from their homes during and after World War II. These people needed safe havens and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Before the ...