The immediate goal of this note is to elucidate contemporary issues in the interpretation of the terms of Article 1 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, taking into account recent academic and jurisprudential developments. It is hoped that its contents will be useful in a number of contexts, not least in the efforts currently underway in Europe to harmonise understanding of the refugee definition. The UNHCR Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status provides the basic guidance of the Office on the interpretation of the refugee definition and should be referred to for a full understanding of UNHCR's views on various interpretative issues. This note highlights key points from the Handbook and in addition discusses various topics that have become prominent in refugee law discourse since its publication. Some of these issues will also be considered in four expert roundtables that will take place in the context of the UNHCR Global Consultations on International Protection. The results of these roundtables will help to refine or develop further the views of UNHCR, governments and other concerned actors on these issues.

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