Jesuit Refugee Service  has joined more than 260 faith-based, non-governmental, and civil society organizations in signing an open letter calling on UN Member States to uphold, preserve, and strengthen international refugee, human rights, and humanitarian treaties.

The Upholding Not Undermining International Law letter urges governments to recommit to the principles that protect human dignity and save lives—rejecting any effort to weaken or replace the international legal norms that safeguard people fleeing persecution, torture, and violence.

These treaties, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, have provided life-saving protection for millions of people and are vital to global stability and peace. The letter highlights that more than two-thirds of refugees are hosted in neighboring countries—many in low- and middle-income nations—demonstrating a global commitment to solidarity and responsibility-sharing.

Signatories call on States to:

• Ratify and uphold key human rights and refugee conventions.

• Celebrate and explain the benefits of these treaties to both people and nations.

• Share concrete steps taken to honor commitments—such as legislative reforms, treaty implementation, and expanded refugee protection.

• Publicly reject and counter any attempts to withdraw from or undermine these global agreements.

As the letter notes, “At this critical crossroads, we call on States to work together and with civil society to strengthen—and reject efforts to undermine—the treaties and norms that protect people from persecution and other human rights abuses.”

Find full letter and signatories here.