The Government use every appropriate opportunity to advocate the ratification of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) by all countries. The Refugee Convention guarantees the right of a person who is a refugee within the meaning of the Convention not to be returned to a country or territory where they are at risk of persecution. The Government support the work of the Office of the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), the UN agency mandated to protect refugees. The UK is the seventh largest donor to the UNHCR (USD 52 million, 4.8 per cent. of contributions to the agency in 2006). The UK also contributes to operations on the ground to develop the capacity of countries hosting refugees to meet their obligations, for example, in Chad through the EU European Security and Defence Policy mission to protect internally displaced persons and refugees from Darfur.
In addition to the Refugee Convention, the UK advocates the ratification by all countries of the main international human rights instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which provide the obligations to protect all individuals on their territory including refugees.