Conclusion on machine-readable travel documents for refugees and stateless persons
No. 114 (LXVIII) 2017
The Executive Committee,
Recalling the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Convention) and the
1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1954 Convention), in particular article 28 and the
Schedules and Annexes to these Conventions,
Emphasizing that the protection of refugees is primarily the responsibility of all States and strongly
emphasizing, in this context, the importance of active international solidarity and burden- and responsibilitysharing,
Recalling further previous Executive Committee conclusions on travel documents, in particular
Conclusion No 13 (XXIX) 1978, Conclusion No 18 (XXXI) 1980, para (i), and Conclusion No 49 (XXXVIII)
1987, as well as Conclusion No 112 (LXVII) 2016 on international cooperation from a protection and solutions
perspective,
Acknowledging with appreciation the contributions of host states in receiving and providing international
protection to large numbers of refugees, including in protracted situations and with limited resources,
Recognizing the importance of travel documents for refugees and stateless persons to facilitate their travel
and the importance of granting visas to holders of these travel documents, where required for the implementation
of durable solutions for refugees and complementary pathways to protection and solutions and other travel for
refugees and stateless persons, thereby reducing the risk of irregular movement which may expose refugees and
stateless persons to exploitation, abuse, violence and human trafficking,
Noting that international standards and specifications for travel documents have undergone significant
developments since the 1951 and 1954 Conventions were drafted, and that the effective realization of the right set
out in article 28 of these Conventions can best be achieved if refugees and stateless persons have access to travel
documents in line with international standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
in Annex 9 (Facilitation) to the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention),
Noting Amendment 25 of Annex 9 to the 1944 Chicago Convention adopted by the ICAO Council in
June 2015, which requires that travel documents for refugees and stateless persons (Convention Travel
Documents) are machine readable in accordance with the specifications of Doc 9303;
Expressing appreciation for the revised Guide for Issuing Machine-Readable Convention Travel
Documents for Refugees and Stateless Persons jointly issued by UNHCR and ICAO in February 2017, which
incorporates guidance on the implementation of ICAO standard 3.12,
Noting the practice of some States in issuing electronically enabled machine-readable Convention Travel
Documents with biometric identification capacity,
Noting also the benefits associated with the increased security features provided by machine-readable
travel documents, and the importance of secure travel documents in promoting effective traveler identification,
reducing the risk of document fraud, alteration and counterfeit, and facilitating global and reciprocal acceptance
of travel documents,
Emphasizing the importance of safeguards to protect personal data, such as those referred to in UNHCR’s
Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern,
1.
Stresses the need for all States and other relevant stakeholders to intensify their efforts to create,
expand or facilitate access to appropriate durable solutions and complementary pathways for refugees and stateless
persons, in particular in order to support those communities and countries hosting large refugee populations;
2.
Stresses the need for countries of origin to contribute to conditions conducive to voluntary
repatriation and return, including through addressing root causes and providing the necessary travel documents;
3.
Welcomes the efforts of States that have already transitioned to machine-readable Convention
Travel Documents in accordance with ICAO standard 3.12 and Doc 9303, and calls upon States parties to the