ACT Alliance is one of 267 faith-based, non-governmental and other organisations calling on UN member states to uphold international refugee laws to protect, preserve, and strengthen human rights and humanitarian treaties that maintain the inalienable human dignity of all people.

“Multilateral refugee, humanitarian, and human rights treaties are central to the objectives enshrined in the UN charter, and essential to preventing and deterring conduct that harms people and threatens global stability and peace,” the open letter reads. “Adherence to treaties has saved lives, upheld human dignity, and protected millions of people from persecution, torture and other human rights abuses.”

The statement calls on member states to sign and ratify treaties and other instruments that enhance human rights and dignity; celebrate, support and socialize them; share their progress towards their recommendations and towards living the Refugee Convention; and to speak out against any denunciations, withdrawals, or attempts to alter such treaties to deny human rights and dignity.

The open letter recognises the benefits that the 75 year old Refugee Convention and other such treaties have brought, stating that “…before states came together to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights treaties and the Refugee Convention and Protocol, millions were abandoned to suffer horrific fates.”

Read the full open letter here.