UNHCR launches 'The Promise' as 75 figures mark 75th anniversary of Refugee Convention

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has launched a global solidarity statement called The Promise, bringing together 75 prominent figures from across society to mark the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention.

The initiative was announced in Geneva on Saturday, 28 July 2026, as the 1951 treaty, the foundational legal instrument for refugee protection, reaches its 75th year. It comes at what UNHCR describes as a time of record displacement and mounting pressure on asylum systems globally.

Convened by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, The Promise is intended to build a diverse coalition supporting refugee protection through to the Global Refugee Forum, scheduled for 2027. Signatories reaffirm the Convention's founding principles and commit to protecting people fleeing conflict, violence and persecution.

Wide range of signatories

The initial 75 signatories span several sectors of public life. They include actor-filmmakers Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie and Ben Stiller, alongside International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry.

Business figures Hamdi Ulukaya, Mo Ibrahim and Tadashi Yanai have also signed, as have Nobel Peace Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai, Nadia Murad, Dr Denis Mukwege and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the latter a member of The Elders. Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, is also among the initial signatories.

According to UNHCR, their participation reflects broad support across society for protecting the right to seek asylum and standing in solidarity with refugees.

"The Refugee Convention has saved millions of lives over the decades; it goes to the core of our shared humanity," Salih said, adding that the world's responsibility now is to keep that promise alive for future generations.

Scale of displacement

UNHCR figures cited in the statement put the number of forcibly displaced refugees worldwide at more than 41 million. The agency said host countries continue to carry immense responsibility as old conflicts persist and new ones emerge, leaving many asylum systems stretched and under-resourced.

Through The Promise, signatories call for a world in which people can seek safety, refugees are included in host communities, and solutions to displacement begin from the earliest stages of any crisis. They also call for all sections of society to play a part, pledging what the statement describes as "action, compassion and solidarity" until everyone is safe.

Salih said the Convention gives governments a practical framework for managing displacement, one that, if applied effectively, can protect those fleeing persecution while preserving national security and public confidence.

He added that the Convention was also about finding solutions, which required coordinated action at the early stages of displacement so that refugees were not left to languish, alongside continued support for host countries and communities.

Reactions from signatories

Several signatories issued individual statements accompanying the launch. Yousafzai, an education activist and Nobel laureate, said the Convention represented a promise of safety, dignity and a future for every displaced child and family.

Murad, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate, said refugee protection must extend beyond temporary safety to include long-term solutions such as safe return, local integration or resettlement.

Coventry, representing the IOC, linked the Convention's founding commitment to Olympic values, noting the planned participation of the Refugee Olympic Team at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Ibrahim, founder and chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, described the Convention as a test of global leadership as much as a legal instrument.

UNHCR said it would continue inviting individuals and organisations to endorse The Promise in the lead-up to the Global Refugee Forum in 2027, which serves as the main international platform for coordinating global responses to refugee crises.