Sustained commitment needed to maintain protection for refugees, OSCE human rights head says ahead of World Refugee Day

WARSAW, 19 June 2026 – Continued commitment is essential to upholding the rights and protection of refugees and displaced persons, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today, ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June and the upcoming 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. 

“Seventy-five years after the adoption of the Refugee Convention, its principles remain as vital as ever,” said ODIHR Director Maria Telalian. “World Refugee Day is a reminder not only of the challenges faced by displaced people, but also of their resilience, and of the enduring responsibility of states to protect them. OSCE participating States must continue to uphold their shared responsibility to ensure protection, dignity and durable solutions for all those forced to flee.”

Across the OSCE region, estimates suggest that around 23 million people are displaced due to conflict, violence and persecution, and are in need of international protection. All OSCE participating States have committed “to ensure the international protection of refugees” and called for “all participating States to contribute to a concerted effort to share the common burden.”

Within this broader context, the consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine following the Russian Federation’s invasion in February 2022 continue to account for the most significant share of those displaced in the OSCE region. Millions of Ukrainians remain displaced, the vast majority hosted by OSCE participating States, where significant efforts have been made to provide protection and support. As the displacement situation becomes increasingly protracted, discussions are taking place at national and regional levels regarding the future of temporary protection regimes for Ukrainians, including possible restrictions that might negatively affect certain groups seeking protection. 

In this context, the ODIHR Director stressed that all responses to displacement must remain firmly grounded in OSCE commitments and other international standards, ensuring that protection schemes throughout the OSCE region continue for as long as protection needs persist and that returns to countries of origin are voluntary, safe and dignified.