Document archive

International Instruments on Migration (Policy and Legal Framework)

• Convention of 28 October,1933 relating to the international status of refugees (PDF)
• United Nations Convention on the status of refugees of 1951 (PDF)
• United Nations Protocol Relating to the status of refugees of 1967 (PDF)
• United Nations Declaration on the human rights of indiviuals who are not nationals of the country in which they live, 1985 (PDF)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention aganist Torture and other Cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, of 2002 (PDF)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (PDF)
• United Nations General Comment No. 6 (2005) on treatment of unacompanied and separated  children outside their country of origin (PDF)
• International Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families of  1990 (PDF)
• United Nations Recommended Principles and Guide lines on Human rights  and human trafficking of 2002 (PDF)
• Protocol  aganist the smuggling of migrants by land, sea, air  supplementing the United Nations Convention aganist  Transnational organised crime of  2000 (PDF)
• Convention Relating to the status of stateless Persons of 1954 (PDF)
• Protocol Relating to the status of Refugees of 1967 (PDF)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of  1966 (PDF)

Regional Instruments

Africa

Treaties/conventions

• African Union Convention governing  the specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa of 1969 (PDF)
• Protocol to the African charter on human and peoples rights on the establishment of the African Court  on human and people rights of 1998 (PDF)
• African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights of 1981 (PDF)
• African Union  Resolutions on guidelines and measures for the prohibition and prevention of torture, cruel and inhuman or degrading  treatment or punishment in Africa of 2003
•  African Union decison  on the situation of refugees , returneees and displaced persons {Doc.EX.CL/148(VI)} 2005 (PDF)
• African Union Decision on Migration and Development  EX.CL/Dec.264(VIII) (PDF)
• Elements for an African Common postion on Migration and develpment,  LSC/EXP 2006 (PDF)

Soft law

• African Charter of Democracy,Elections and Governance, 30 January 2007
• Protocol to the Amendments  to the Constitutive Act  of The African Union ,11 July 2003
• Khartoum Declaration of Africas Refugee Crisis, Adopted by the OAU Seventeenth Extraordinary Session of the Commission of Fifteen on Refugees, meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, 22 - 24 September 1990. OAU DocBR/COM/ XV/55.90. Available at www1.umn.edu/humanrts/Africa
• Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, 1 July 2008
• The Personal Security of Refugees, Executive Committee of the High Com-missioner’s Programme, Sub-Committee of the Whole on International Protection, 22nd mtg. U.N. Doc. EX/1993/SCP/CRP.3 (5 May 1993).
• Protection of Refugees in Mass Influx Situations: Overall Protection Framework, Global. Consultations on International protection, 1st mtg. U.N. Doc. EC/GC/01/4 (19 February 2001).
•   Resolution on the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa (ICARA II) AHG/Res. 114 (XIX) The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, 12 June 1983.
• Joint  Africa-EU Declaration  on Migration and Development
• Africa EU Strategic Partnership
• Technical Training on Migration Management for Senior Government Officials from IGAD Member States
• Inter-State and Intra-Regional Cooperation on Migration Management in the IGAD Region  
• Africa-EU partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment

• African Common Position on Migration and Development.
•  Declaration on the Establishment of IGAD Regional Consultative Process on Migration

• European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its protocols, 4 Nov. 1950, 213 U.N.T.S., 222.
• European Convention on Extradition, 13 Dec. 1957, E.T.S. N 24.
• European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 26 Nov. 1987, E.T.S. 126.
• European Agreement on Transfer of Responsibility for Refugees, 16 Oct. 1980, E.T. N 107.
• European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees, 20 April 1959, E.T.S. 03
• Protocol to the European Convention on Consular Functions concerning the Protection of Refugees, 11 Dec. 1967, E.T.S. N 61A.
• Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 16 May 2005, E.T.S. 197.
• European Convention on Repatriation of Minors, 28 May 1970, E.T.S. 071.

Soft law

• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ‘Recommendation 1503 (2001) on Health Conditions of Migrants and Refugees in Europe’, 14 Mar. 2001.
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ‘Recommendation 1652 (2004) on Education of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons’, 2 Mar. 2004
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ‘Recommendation 1327 (1997) on the Protection and Reinforcement of the Human Rights of Refugees and Asylum-seekers in Europe’, 24 Apr. 1997.
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ‘Recommendation 1703 (2005) on Protection and Assistance for Separated Children Seeking Asylum’, 28 Apr. 2005.
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, ‘Recommendation 1374 (1998) on Situation of Refugee Women in Europe’, 26 May 1998.
• Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 'Recommendation R (81) 16 on the Harmonisation of National Procedures Relating to Asylum', 5 Nov. 1981
• Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 'Declaration on Territorial Asylum', 18 November 1977.
• Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 'Resolution 14 (1967) on Asylum to Persons in Danger of Persecution' 29 June 1967.

Sub - Regional Instruments

Southern African Development Community(SADC)

• 2005  Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons in the Southern Africna Regional Community(SADC) (PDF)
• 1998 Draft Protocol on the Facilitaion of Movement of Persons in the Southern African Regional Community(SADC) (PDF)
•  1966 Draft Protocol  on the Free Movement  of Persons in the Southern  African  Development Community (PDF)
• Charter on Fundamental Human Rights
• The Treaty of the Southern African Development Community
• Principles and guidelines  governing democratic elections

East African Comunity(EAC)

• Treaty for the establishmnet of the East African Community
• Protocol on the establishmnet of a common market
• Annex on Free Movement of Persons
• Annex on Free Movemenent of Persons
• Annex on  right to establishment
• Annex on right of residence
• Schedule on the Free Movement of Capital
• Schedule on Trade and Services

South African Profile